Age dependency ratio, old in Iceland

Iceland: Age dependency ratio, old was 24.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
24.0%
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
61st
of 215 countries
All-time high
24.0%
in 2025
All-time low
14.1%
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Age dependency ratio, old in Iceland, 1960–2025

0510152025196019922025

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

Analysis

Iceland recorded 24.0% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 16.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Iceland peaked at 24.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 1960.

Iceland ranks 61st of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 14.6% 14.1% 14.9% 10
1970s 15.2% 15.0% 15.7% 10
1980s 16.0% 15.7% 16.3% 10
1990s 17.3% 16.5% 17.8% 10
2000s 17.6% 17.1% 17.9% 10
2010s 20.1% 18.1% 21.4% 10
2020s 22.9% 21.8% 24.0% 6

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 58 Cuba 25.1% compare
  2. 59 Uruguay 24.7% compare
  3. 60 Ireland 24.7% compare
  4. 62 Luxembourg 23.1% compare
  5. 63 Andorra 23.1% compare
  6. 64 Thailand 23.0% compare

See the full ranking of 264 places →

More health data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency ratio, old in Iceland?
Age dependency ratio, old in Iceland was 24.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 24.0% in 2025.
What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 1960.
How does Iceland rank for age dependency ratio, old?
Iceland ranks 61st out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland 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.