Age dependency ratio in Least developed countries: UN classification

Least developed countries: UN classification: Age dependency ratio was 74.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
74.7%
Change on year
down 0.8%
All-time high
93.1%
in 1982
All-time low
74.7%
in 2025
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Age dependency ratio in Least developed countries: UN classification, 1960–2025

020406080100196019922025

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

Analysis

In 2025, age dependency ratio in Least developed countries: UN classification stood at 74.7%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Least developed countries: UN classification peaked at 93.1% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 74.7%, in 2025.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 85.9% 83.5% 88.4% 10
1970s 90.9% 88.9% 92.3% 10
1980s 92.7% 92.0% 93.1% 10
1990s 90.2% 88.6% 91.8% 10
2000s 86.4% 84.5% 88.1% 10
2010s 81.2% 78.3% 84.0% 10
2020s 76.2% 74.7% 77.8% 6

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Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency ratio in Least developed countries: UN classification?
Age dependency ratio in Least developed countries: UN classification was 74.7% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Least developed countries: UN classification?
The highest recorded value was 93.1% in 1982.
What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Least developed countries: UN classification?
The lowest recorded value was 74.7% in 2025.
Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Least developed countries: UN classification?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Least developed countries: UN classification data come from?
The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency ratio (% 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 is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or 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.