Age dependency ratio, old in Ireland
Ireland: Age dependency ratio, old was 24.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Ireland, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 24.7% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.8% on the previous year and up 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Ireland peaked at 24.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2007.
That places Ireland 60th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 19.4% | — |
| 1961 | 19.5% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 19.4% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 19.3% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 19.3% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 19.4% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 19.5% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 19.4% | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 19.4% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 19.3% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 19.3% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 19.2% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 19.0% | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 18.7% | -1.6% |
| 1974 | 18.5% | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 18.4% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 18.4% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 18.4% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 18.4% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 18.3% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 18.3% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 18.2% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 18.1% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 18.0% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 18.0% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 18.1% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 18.1% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 18.2% | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 18.4% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 18.5% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 18.4% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 18.3% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 18.1% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 17.9% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 17.7% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 17.5% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 17.3% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 17.1% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 16.9% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 16.7% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 16.5% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 16.4% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 16.3% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 16.3% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 16.1% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 15.6% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 15.8% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 16.2% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 16.8% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 17.5% | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 18.2% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 18.8% | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 19.5% | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 20.0% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 20.5% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 20.9% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 21.4% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 21.8% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 22.3% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 22.7% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 23.2% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 23.7% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 24.2% | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 24.7% | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.4% | 19.3% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 18.7% | 18.3% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.2% | 18.0% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.8% | 16.9% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.2% | 15.6% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.5% | 16.8% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.5% | 22.3% | 24.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More health data for Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -4.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.89 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,122 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 20 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 51 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Ireland?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Ireland was 24.7% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 24.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Ireland ranks 60th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.