Age dependency ratio, old in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Age dependency ratio, old was 18.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica is 18.5%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.4% on the previous year and up 45.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Costa Rica peaked at 18.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1960.
Costa Rica ranks 81st of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, old in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.0% | — |
| 1961 | 6.0% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 6.1% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 6.1% | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 6.1% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 6.1% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 6.1% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 6.2% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 6.2% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 6.2% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 6.2% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 6.2% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 6.2% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 6.3% | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 6.3% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 6.4% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 6.4% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 6.5% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 6.5% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 6.6% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 6.6% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 6.7% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 6.7% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 6.8% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 6.8% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 6.9% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 7.0% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 7.1% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 7.3% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 7.4% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 7.6% | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 7.7% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 7.9% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 8.0% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 8.1% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 8.3% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 8.4% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 8.5% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 8.6% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 8.7% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 8.8% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 8.9% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 9.1% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 9.3% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 9.5% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 9.7% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 9.9% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 10.1% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 10.6% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 10.9% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 11.2% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 11.5% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 12.3% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 12.7% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 13.2% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 13.7% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 14.7% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 15.2% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 15.8% | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 16.3% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 17.0% | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 17.7% | +4.3% |
| 2025 | 18.5% | +4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.1% | 6.0% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.4% | 6.2% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.9% | 6.6% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.2% | 7.6% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.6% | 8.8% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 10.9% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.8% | 15.2% | 18.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 78 Sri Lanka 19.0% compare
- 79 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 18.6% compare
- 80 Trinidad and Tobago 18.6% compare
- 82 Grenada 18.5% compare
- 83 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18.3% compare
- 84 Antigua and Barbuda 17.6% compare
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,632 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 35 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0256 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Costa Rica?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Costa Rica was 18.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 18.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1960.
- How does Costa Rica rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Costa Rica ranks 81st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.