Age dependency ratio, old in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Age dependency ratio, old was 5.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Papua New Guinea, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age dependency ratio, old in Papua New Guinea is 5.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 21.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Papua New Guinea peaked at 5.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 1966.
That places Papua New Guinea 187th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, old in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.0% | — |
| 1961 | 2.0% | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 2.0% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 2.0% | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 2.0% | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 1.9% | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 1.9% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 1.9% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 1.9% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 2.0% | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 2.0% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 2.0% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 2.0% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 2.0% | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 2.1% | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 2.4% | +4.8% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | +5.5% |
| 1982 | 2.7% | +5.8% |
| 1983 | 2.8% | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 3.2% | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 3.3% | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 3.5% | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 3.6% | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 3.7% | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 3.9% | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 4.1% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 4.1% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 4.2% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 4.2% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 4.3% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 4.3% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 4.4% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 4.4% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 4.4% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 4.5% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 4.5% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 4.5% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 4.5% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 4.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 4.6% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 4.6% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 4.6% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 4.7% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 4.8% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 4.8% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 5.5% | +3.1% |
| 2025 | 5.7% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.2% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 4.5% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3% | 5.0% | 5.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
More health data for Papua New Guinea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3741 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,127 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,501 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 2.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0293 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 2.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0258 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Papua New Guinea?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Papua New Guinea was 5.7% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 1966.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 187th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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.