Age dependency ratio, old in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Age dependency ratio, old was 20.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in East Asia & Pacific, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
East Asia & Pacific recorded 20.3% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 41.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 20.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 1965.
That places East Asia & Pacific 11th out of 47 groups 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 East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.9% | — |
| 1961 | 6.8% | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 6.8% | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 6.8% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 6.8% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 6.8% | -0.0% |
| 1966 | 6.8% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 6.9% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 6.9% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 6.9% | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 7.0% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 7.1% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 7.1% | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 7.2% | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 7.3% | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 7.4% | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 7.5% | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 7.6% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 7.7% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 7.7% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 7.8% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 7.8% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 7.9% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 7.9% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 8.0% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 8.0% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 8.1% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 8.2% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 8.3% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 8.4% | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 8.6% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 8.7% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 8.9% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 9.3% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 9.6% | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 10.0% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 10.2% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 10.4% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 10.7% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 10.9% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 11.3% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 11.6% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 11.8% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 12.1% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 12.3% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 12.5% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 12.7% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 13.1% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 13.4% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 13.9% | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 14.4% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 14.9% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 15.6% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 16.2% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 17.6% | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 18.3% | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 18.9% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 19.5% | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 20.0% | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 20.3% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.9% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.4% | 7.0% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.1% | 7.8% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.5% | 8.6% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 10.7% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 12.5% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.1% | 17.6% | 20.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 8 United States Virgin Islands 38.3% compare
- 9 Germany 38.0% compare
- 10 Isle of Man 37.8% compare
- 11 Croatia 37.7% compare
- 12 France 36.8% compare
- 13 Serbia 36.8% compare
- 14 Hong Kong, China 35.8% compare
More health data for East Asia & Pacific
- Population ages 45-49, male, per capita 0.0331 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0371 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate -2.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, female, per capita 0.0369 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, female, annual growth rate -2.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate -0.9374 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in East Asia & Pacific?
- Age dependency ratio, old in East Asia & Pacific was 20.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 1965.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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.