Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Age dependency ratio, old was 22.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 22.6% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 22.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 1960.
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 9th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.7% | — |
| 1961 | 10.0% | +2.2% |
| 1962 | 10.1% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 10.2% | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 10.4% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 10.6% | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 10.9% | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 11.1% | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 11.3% | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 11.6% | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 11.8% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 11.9% | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 12.2% | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 12.4% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 12.6% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 12.9% | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 13.1% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 13.4% | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 13.7% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 13.9% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 14.0% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 13.9% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 13.5% | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 13.3% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 13.1% | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 13.0% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 13.0% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 13.0% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 13.1% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 13.3% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 13.6% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 13.9% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 14.4% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 15.2% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 15.5% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 15.7% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 15.9% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 15.9% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 15.8% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 15.8% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 15.9% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 16.2% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 16.5% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 16.8% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 17.0% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 17.1% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 17.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 16.7% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 16.4% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 16.1% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 16.0% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 16.1% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 16.3% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 17.1% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 17.6% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 18.1% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 18.7% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 19.8% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 20.3% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 20.7% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 21.3% | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 22.0% | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 22.6% | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.6% | 9.7% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.8% | 11.8% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.3% | 13.0% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.1% | 13.6% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.5% | 15.8% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.2% | 16.0% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 19.8% | 22.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
More health data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 30-34, male, per capita 0.035 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0402 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate -0.0639 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0397 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, annual growth rate -0.1882 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 25-29, male, per capita 0.0307 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 22.6% 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 (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 22.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 1960.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.