Denmark vs Sweden: Age dependency ratio, old

Denmark
33.4%
in 2025
Sweden
33.5%
in 2025
Denmark rank
23rd
Sweden rank
22nd

Age dependency ratio, old over time

  • Denmark
  • Sweden
0102030196019922025

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 33.5% against 33.4% in Denmark, a difference of 0.1%.

Across all 66 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.

Denmark ranks 23rd and Sweden ranks 22nd of 217 countries.

Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Sweden Difference Ahead
1960s 17.5% 19.1% 1.5% Sweden
1970s 20.7% 23.1% 2.5% Sweden
1980s 22.7% 26.6% 3.9% Sweden
1990s 22.7% 27.4% 4.8% Sweden
2000s 23.0% 26.7% 3.7% Sweden
2010s 28.5% 30.6% 2.1% Sweden
2020s 32.3% 32.9% 0.6% Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher age dependency ratio, old, Denmark or Sweden?
Sweden, at 33.5% against 33.4% in Denmark as of 2025.
What is the difference in age dependency ratio, old between Denmark and Sweden?
0.1%, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?
66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for age dependency ratio, old?
Denmark ranks 23rd and Sweden ranks 22nd of 217 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Denmark vs Sweden: Age dependency ratio, old. Statizoid, drawing on World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/age-dependency-ratio-old-percent-of-working-age-population/denmark/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency ratio, old (% 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
266 places, 17,526 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.