Age dependency ratio, old in Canada
Canada: Age dependency ratio, old was 31.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Canada, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age dependency ratio, old in Canada is 31.3%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 32.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Canada peaked at 31.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 1971.
That places Canada 36th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, old in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 13.0% | — |
| 1961 | 13.0% | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 13.1% | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 13.0% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 13.0% | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 13.0% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 12.9% | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 12.9% | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 12.8% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 12.8% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 12.8% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 12.7% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 12.8% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 12.8% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 12.8% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 12.9% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 13.0% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 13.2% | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 13.4% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 13.6% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 13.8% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 14.0% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 14.2% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 14.4% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 14.6% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 14.9% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 15.3% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 15.6% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 15.9% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 16.2% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 16.5% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 16.8% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 17.3% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 17.5% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 17.7% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 17.9% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 18.0% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 18.2% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 18.3% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 18.4% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 18.4% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 18.5% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 18.6% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 18.7% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 18.8% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 19.0% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 19.3% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 19.6% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 20.0% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 20.4% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 20.9% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 21.5% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 22.2% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 22.9% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 23.6% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 24.3% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 25.0% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 25.6% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 26.4% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 27.2% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 28.1% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 28.9% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 29.6% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 30.4% | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 31.3% | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.0% | 12.8% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.0% | 12.7% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.9% | 13.8% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.5% | 16.5% | 18.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.9% | 18.4% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.3% | 20.4% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.3% | 27.2% | 31.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,083 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 385 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.0542 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0731 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.0818 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0767 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Canada?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Canada was 31.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 31.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 1971.
- How does Canada rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Canada ranks 36th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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.
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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.