Age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Age dependency ratio, old was 5.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
In 2025, age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 5.7%.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 6.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2015.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.9% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 6 |
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 65 and above 3.2% (2025)
- Population, male 658.72 million (2025)
- Population, female 50.2% (2025)
- Age dependency ratio, young 71.6% (2025)
- Age dependency ratio 78.1% (2025)
- Population, female 662.81 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 18.77 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 23.94 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 3.6% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total 745.17 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 5.7% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 6.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2015.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.