Age dependency ratio, young in North America
North America: Age dependency ratio, young was 26.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, young in North America, 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, young in North America stood at 26.1%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, young in North America peaked at 53.1% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 26.1%, in 2025.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 51.2% | 47.6% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.1% | 34.4% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.5% | 31.8% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.5% | 31.7% | 33.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 28.8% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.3% | 27.9% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.9% | 26.1% | 27.6% | 6 |
More health data for North America
- Population ages 0-14, male 17.2% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 17.0% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 32.78 million (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 63.3% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 121.01 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total 64.69 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 31.52 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 38.52 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 20.2% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total 247.51 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, young in North America?
- Age dependency ratio, young in North America was 26.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, young recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 53.1% in 1961.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, young recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.1% in 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, young rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio, young (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.