Age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Age dependency ratio, old was 5.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.7%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 6.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2015.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 42nd of 47 groups 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.8% | — |
| 1961 | 5.8% | -0.0% |
| 1962 | 5.8% | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 5.8% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 5.8% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 5.8% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 5.8% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 5.9% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 5.9% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 5.9% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 5.9% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 5.9% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 5.9% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 5.9% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 5.9% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 5.9% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 5.9% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 5.9% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 6.0% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 6.0% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 6.0% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 6.0% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 6.0% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 6.0% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 6.0% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6.0% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 6.0% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 5.9% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 5.9% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 5.9% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 5.9% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 5.8% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 5.8% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 5.8% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 5.8% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 5.8% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 5.7% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 5.7% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 5.7% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 5.6% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 5.6% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 5.6% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 5.6% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 5.6% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 5.6% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 5.5% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5.6% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 5.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 5.7% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 5.7% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 5.7% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.9% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 39 Malta 30.9% compare
- 40 Norway 29.4% compare
- 41 Republic of Korea 29.3% compare
- 42 Slovakia 29.1% compare
- 43 Montenegro 28.7% compare
- 44 North Macedonia 28.5% compare
- 45 Faroe Islands 28.5% compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.2837 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.4038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2041 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.0026 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Age dependency ratio, old in Sub-Saharan Africa 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2015.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for age dependency ratio, old?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.