Age dependency ratio, old in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Age dependency ratio, old was 19.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio, old in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 19.0%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.1% on the previous year and up 39.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Sri Lanka peaked at 19.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 1968.
Sri Lanka ranks 77th of 217 countries on this measure, 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.7% | — |
| 1961 | 7.5% | -3.1% |
| 1962 | 7.3% | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 7.1% | -2.5% |
| 1964 | 6.9% | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 6.8% | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 6.8% | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 6.8% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 6.7% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 6.8% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 6.8% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 6.8% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 6.8% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 6.9% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 6.9% | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 7.0% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 7.0% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 7.1% | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 7.2% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 7.4% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 7.5% | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 7.6% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 7.8% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 8.0% | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 8.2% | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 8.4% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 8.5% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 8.7% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 8.8% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 8.9% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 9.1% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 9.3% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 9.3% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 9.4% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 9.4% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 9.4% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 9.3% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 9.3% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 9.3% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 9.3% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 9.3% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 9.3% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 9.4% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 9.7% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 9.8% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 10.0% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 10.2% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 10.4% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 10.7% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 11.1% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 11.5% | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 11.9% | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 12.4% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 13.0% | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 13.6% | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 14.7% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 15.2% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 15.7% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 16.2% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 16.8% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 17.3% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 17.8% | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 18.4% | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 19.0% | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.0% | 6.7% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.0% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.3% | 7.5% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 9.1% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.8% | 9.3% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.3% | 11.1% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 16.2% | 19.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 74 Singapore 19.2% compare
- 75 Dominica 19.1% compare
- 76 Argentina 19.0% compare
- 78 North Korea 18.6% compare
- 79 Trinidad and Tobago 18.6% compare
- 80 Costa Rica 18.5% compare
More health data for Sri Lanka
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7332 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 304 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.0133 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, annual growth rate 4.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0072 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Sri Lanka?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Sri Lanka was 19.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 1968.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Sri Lanka ranks 77th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.