Age dependency ratio in Zambia
Zambia: Age dependency ratio was 75.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Zambia, 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 in Zambia stood at 75.3%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Zambia peaked at 111.1% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 75.3%, in 2025.
Zambia ranks 27th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 98.4% | 95.6% | 100.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 107.1% | 101.7% | 111.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 108.5% | 105.7% | 111.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 103.7% | 102.2% | 105.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 97.3% | 93.4% | 101.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.6% | 83.6% | 92.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.8% | 75.3% | 82.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Age population, age 09, female, interpolated 287,077 (2025)
- Age population, age 06, female, interpolated 302,089 (2025)
- Age population, age 06, male, interpolated 301,939 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 6.31 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total 8.98 million (2025)
- Age population, age 07, female, interpolated 296,231 (2025)
- Age population, age 07, male, interpolated 296,034 (2025)
- Age population, age 08, female, interpolated 291,211 (2025)
- Age population, age 08, male, interpolated 290,979 (2025)
- Age population, age 12, female, interpolated 276,097 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Zambia?
- Age dependency ratio in Zambia was 75.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 111.1% in 1980.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.3% in 2025.
- How does Zambia rank for age dependency ratio?
- Zambia ranks 27th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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
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.