Age dependency ratio, old in World
World: Age dependency ratio, old was 16.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in World, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
World recorded 16.0% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in World peaked at 16.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 1960.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.9% | 8.6% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.6% | 9.3% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.8% | 9.7% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.4% | 10.0% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.2% | 10.9% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.7% | 11.6% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.2% | 14.4% | 16.0% | 6 |
More health data for World
- Population, female 4.09 billion (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 11.6% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 380.05 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 9.2% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total 854.60 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above 10.4% (2025)
- Age dependency ratio, young 37.4% (2025)
- Population, male 50.3% (2025)
- Population, male 4.13 billion (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 474.56 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in World?
- Age dependency ratio, old in World was 16.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 16.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 1960.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.