Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Age dependency ratio, old was 17.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 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, old in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) stood at 17.5%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 17.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 1960.
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 14th of 47 groups 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 Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.8% | — |
| 1961 | 10.0% | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 10.1% | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 10.2% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 10.3% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 10.5% | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 10.7% | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 10.8% | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 11.0% | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 11.2% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 11.3% | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 11.4% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 11.5% | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 11.6% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 11.7% | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 11.8% | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 11.9% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 12.1% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 12.2% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 12.3% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 12.3% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 12.1% | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 11.8% | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 11.6% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 11.4% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 11.3% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 11.2% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 11.2% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 11.3% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 11.4% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 11.6% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 11.8% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 12.0% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 12.3% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 12.6% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 12.9% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 13.0% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 13.1% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 13.1% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 13.1% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 13.1% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 13.2% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 13.5% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 13.7% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 13.9% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 14.1% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 14.1% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 13.9% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 13.6% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 13.4% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 13.2% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 13.2% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 13.2% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 13.4% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 13.6% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 14.3% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 14.6% | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 15.5% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 15.9% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 16.6% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 17.1% | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 17.5% | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.4% | 9.8% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.8% | 11.3% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.6% | 11.2% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.5% | 11.6% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 13.1% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.8% | 13.2% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 15.5% | 17.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- 11 Croatia 37.7% compare
- 12 France 36.8% compare
- 13 Serbia 36.8% compare
- 14 Hong Kong, China 35.8% compare
- 15 San Marino 35.6% compare
- 16 Bosnia and Herzegovina 35.6% compare
- 17 Latvia 35.4% compare
More health data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 2.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0335 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, per capita 0.0381 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 2.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0363 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 1.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 17.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 17.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 1960.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 14th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 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.