Age dependency ratio, old in Nigeria
Nigeria: Age dependency ratio, old was 5.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, old in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria stood at 5.4%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Nigeria peaked at 6.1% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2025.
Nigeria ranks 192nd of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, old in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.0% | — |
| 1961 | 6.0% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 6.1% | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 6.1% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 6.1% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 6.1% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 6.1% | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 6.1% | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 6.1% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 6.1% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 6.0% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 6.0% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6.0% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 6.1% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 6.1% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 6.1% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 6.1% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 6.1% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 6.1% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 6.1% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 6.1% | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 6.1% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 6.1% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 6.1% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 6.1% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 6.0% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 6.0% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 5.9% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 5.9% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 5.8% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 5.8% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 5.7% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 5.7% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 5.7% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 5.7% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5.7% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 5.7% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 5.7% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 5.7% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 5.7% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 5.7% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 5.7% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 5.7% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 5.7% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 5.6% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 5.5% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 5.5% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 5.4% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.1% | 6.0% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.9% | 5.7% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 189 Sierra Leone 5.6% compare
- 190 Guinea-Bissau 5.5% compare
- 191 Angola 5.5% compare
- 193 Congo 5.4% compare
- 194 South Sudan 5.2% compare
- 195 Bahrain 5.2% compare
More health data for Nigeria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8137 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,301 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 257,921 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 9,331 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 15,273 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 21,270 (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 Nigeria?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Nigeria was 5.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 1986.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2025.
- How does Nigeria rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Nigeria ranks 192nd out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.