Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Age dependency ratio, old was 22.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
22.6%
Change on year
up 2.9%
All-time high
22.6%
in 2025
All-time low
9.7%
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960–2025

0510152025196019922025

Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.

Analysis

Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 22.6% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 32.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 22.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 1960.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 10.6% 9.7% 11.6% 10
1970s 12.8% 11.8% 13.9% 10
1980s 13.3% 13.0% 14.0% 10
1990s 15.1% 13.6% 15.9% 10
2000s 16.5% 15.8% 17.1% 10
2010s 17.2% 16.0% 19.3% 10
2020s 21.1% 19.8% 22.6% 6

More health data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

All data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 22.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The highest recorded value was 22.6% in 2025.
What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 1960.
Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population)
Unit
% of working-age population
Source
World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
264 places, 17,394 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.