Age dependency ratio, old in New Zealand
New Zealand: Age dependency ratio, old was 27.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand stood at 27.3%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 23.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in New Zealand peaked at 27.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 1966.
That places New Zealand 52nd out of 218 countries 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.8% | — |
| 1961 | 14.7% | -0.9% |
| 1962 | 14.5% | -1.1% |
| 1963 | 14.4% | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 14.2% | -1.0% |
| 1965 | 14.1% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 14.1% | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 14.1% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 14.2% | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 14.2% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 14.3% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 14.3% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 14.3% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 14.3% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 14.3% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 14.4% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 14.5% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 14.7% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 15.0% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 15.2% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 15.4% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 15.6% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 15.7% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 15.7% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 15.7% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 15.8% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 16.0% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 16.2% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 16.4% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 16.6% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 16.8% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 17.0% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 17.2% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 17.4% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 17.5% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 17.6% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 17.6% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 17.6% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 17.7% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 17.8% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 18.0% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 18.0% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 18.0% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 17.9% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 17.9% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 18.1% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 18.4% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 18.7% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 19.2% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 19.6% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 20.8% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 21.5% | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 21.9% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 22.2% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 22.4% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 22.6% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 22.9% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 23.3% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 23.9% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 24.7% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 25.3% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 25.9% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 26.6% | +2.6% |
| 2025 | 27.3% | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.3% | 14.1% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.5% | 14.3% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.9% | 15.4% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.4% | 16.8% | 17.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.3% | 17.9% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.8% | 19.6% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.6% | 23.9% | 27.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More health data for New Zealand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4815 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,116 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 33 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 15-19, male, annual growth rate 2.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per capita 0.0331 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, annual growth rate 1.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per capita 0.0309 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in New Zealand?
- Age dependency ratio, old in New Zealand was 27.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 27.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 1966.
- How does New Zealand rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- New Zealand ranks 52nd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.