Age dependency ratio, old in Sweden

Sweden: Age dependency ratio, old was 33.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
33.5%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
22nd
of 217 countries
All-time high
33.5%
in 2025
All-time low
17.9%
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Age dependency ratio, old in Sweden, 1960–2025

0102030196019922025

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 Sweden is 33.5%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, old in Sweden peaked at 33.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 17.9%, in 1960.

That places Sweden 22nd out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.

Age dependency ratio, old in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) in Sweden, 1960 to 2025.
Year % of working-age population Change
1960 17.9%
1961 18.1% +1.2%
1962 18.3% +1.2%
1963 18.5% +1.3%
1964 18.8% +1.4%
1965 19.1% +1.5%
1966 19.4% +1.7%
1967 19.8% +2.1%
1968 20.2% +2.0%
1969 20.5% +1.6%
1970 20.9% +1.6%
1971 21.3% +2.1%
1972 21.9% +2.5%
1973 22.4% +2.6%
1974 23.0% +2.6%
1975 23.5% +2.3%
1976 24.0% +1.9%
1977 24.4% +1.8%
1978 24.8% +1.7%
1979 25.2% +1.4%
1980 25.4% +1.0%
1981 25.6% +0.8%
1982 25.8% +0.9%
1983 26.1% +0.9%
1984 26.3% +0.9%
1985 26.7% +1.5%
1986 27.2% +1.8%
1987 27.4% +1.1%
1988 27.6% +0.5%
1989 27.6% +0.2%
1990 27.7% +0.1%
1991 27.7% +0.0%
1992 27.6% -0.1%
1993 27.6% -0.2%
1994 27.5% -0.4%
1995 27.4% -0.3%
1996 27.4% -0.1%
1997 27.3% -0.2%
1998 27.2% -0.4%
1999 27.0% -0.6%
2000 26.8% -0.7%
2001 26.7% -0.6%
2002 26.5% -0.5%
2003 26.4% -0.4%
2004 26.4% -0.0%
2005 26.5% +0.0%
2006 26.4% -0.1%
2007 26.6% +0.4%
2008 26.9% +1.3%
2009 27.4% +2.0%
2010 28.1% +2.4%
2011 28.8% +2.6%
2012 29.5% +2.6%
2013 30.2% +2.3%
2014 30.8% +2.0%
2015 31.3% +1.5%
2016 31.5% +0.8%
2017 31.7% +0.4%
2018 31.8% +0.5%
2019 32.0% +0.6%
2020 32.2% +0.7%
2021 32.5% +0.8%
2022 32.7% +0.7%
2023 33.0% +0.9%
2024 33.3% +0.9%
2025 33.5% +0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 19.1% 17.9% 20.5% 10
1970s 23.1% 20.9% 25.2% 10
1980s 26.6% 25.4% 27.6% 10
1990s 27.4% 27.0% 27.7% 10
2000s 26.7% 26.4% 27.4% 10
2010s 30.6% 28.1% 32.0% 10
2020s 32.9% 32.2% 33.5% 6

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 19 Bulgaria 35.1% compare
  2. 20 Slovenia 35.1% compare
  3. 21 Estonia 34.6% compare
  4. 23 Denmark 33.4% compare
  5. 24 Czechia 33.2% compare
  6. 25 Liechtenstein 33.2% compare

See the full ranking of 266 places →

More health data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency ratio, old in Sweden?
Age dependency ratio, old in Sweden was 33.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
What is the highest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 2025.
What is the lowest age dependency ratio, old recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 17.9% in 1960.
How does Sweden rank for age dependency ratio, old?
Sweden ranks 22nd out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
Is age dependency ratio, old rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden 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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Age dependency ratio, old in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/age-dependency-ratio-old-percent-of-working-age-population/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population)
Unit
% of working-age population
Source
World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
266 places, 17,526 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.