Age dependency ratio, old in Malawi
Malawi: Age dependency ratio, old was 4.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Malawi, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age dependency ratio, old in Malawi is 4.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 24.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Malawi peaked at 8.3% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2025.
Malawi ranks 204th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.3% | 6.1% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.7% | 6.0% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.5% | 6.6% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 5.2% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 4.5% | 5.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 201 Burundi 4.8% compare
- 202 Cote d'Ivoire 4.7% compare
- 203 Mali 4.6% compare
- 205 Yemen 4.5% compare
- 206 Central African Republic 4.5% compare
- 207 Afghanistan 4.4% compare
More health data for Malawi
- Age population, age 13, female, interpolated 281,167 (2025)
- Age population, age 15, female, interpolated 276,241 (2025)
- Age population, age 14, male, interpolated 276,497 (2025)
- Age population, age 14, female, interpolated 278,971 (2025)
- Age population, age 13, male, interpolated 279,081 (2025)
- Age population, age 12, female, interpolated 283,499 (2025)
- Age population, age 11, female, interpolated 284,911 (2025)
- Age population, age 11, male, interpolated 283,873 (2025)
- Age population, age 15, male, interpolated 273,176 (2025)
- Age population, age 12, male, interpolated 281,852 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Malawi?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Malawi was 4.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 8.3% in 1988.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2025.
- How does Malawi rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Malawi ranks 204th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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
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.