Age dependency ratio, old in Norway
Norway: Age dependency ratio, old was 29.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Norway, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Norway recorded 29.4% for age dependency ratio, old in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Norway peaked at 29.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 1960.
Norway ranks 39th of 217 countries 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 Norway, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 17.5% | — |
| 1961 | 17.8% | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 18.0% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 18.3% | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 18.6% | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 18.9% | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 19.3% | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 19.7% | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 20.0% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 20.3% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 20.5% | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 20.8% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 21.0% | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 21.3% | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 21.6% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 21.9% | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 22.2% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 22.6% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 22.9% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 23.2% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 23.4% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 23.6% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 23.8% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 24.2% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 24.5% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 24.8% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 24.9% | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 25.0% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 25.1% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 25.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 25.2% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 25.1% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 25.0% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 24.8% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 24.7% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 24.5% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 24.3% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 24.1% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 23.7% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 23.4% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 23.1% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 22.8% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 22.6% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 22.5% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 22.4% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 22.3% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 22.1% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 22.1% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 22.3% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 22.6% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 23.1% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 23.5% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 23.9% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 24.3% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 24.8% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 25.2% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 25.6% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 26.2% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 26.7% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 27.2% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 27.8% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 28.3% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 28.5% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 28.9% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 29.4% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.8% | 17.5% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 21.8% | 20.5% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 24.3% | 23.4% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.7% | 23.7% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.6% | 22.1% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.6% | 22.6% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.4% | 27.2% | 29.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 36 Canada 31.3% compare
- 37 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 31.1% compare
- 38 Malta 30.9% compare
- 40 Republic of Korea 29.3% compare
- 41 Slovakia 29.1% compare
- 42 Montenegro 28.7% compare
More health data for Norway
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -7.69 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.337 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,212 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 12 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.9506 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0775 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.9586 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0817 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Norway?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Norway was 29.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 29.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 1960.
- How does Norway rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Norway ranks 39th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway 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.