Age dependency ratio in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Age dependency ratio was 81.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Age dependency ratio in Afghanistan, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 81.8% for age dependency ratio in 2025.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Afghanistan peaked at 110.6% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 81.1%, in 1960.
That places Afghanistan 14th 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 in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 81.1% | — |
| 1961 | 81.3% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 81.5% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 81.9% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 82.4% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 83.1% | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 83.9% | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 84.8% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 85.6% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 86.5% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 87.3% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 88.0% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 88.8% | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 89.5% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 90.2% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 91.0% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 91.7% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 92.4% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 93.1% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 93.7% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 94.5% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 95.2% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 95.8% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 96.4% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 96.8% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 97.3% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 97.8% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 98.2% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 98.7% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 99.1% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 99.7% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 100.3% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 101.1% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 102.0% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 103.0% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 104.1% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 105.2% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 106.4% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 107.6% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 108.7% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 109.6% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 110.2% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 110.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 110.6% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 110.3% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 109.7% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 108.9% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 107.7% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 106.3% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 104.8% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 103.1% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 101.5% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 99.8% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 98.1% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 96.3% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 94.6% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 92.9% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 91.3% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 89.8% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 88.5% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 87.2% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 86.1% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 85.0% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 83.8% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 82.8% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 81.8% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 83.2% | 81.1% | 86.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 90.6% | 87.3% | 93.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 97.0% | 94.5% | 99.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 103.8% | 99.7% | 108.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 108.9% | 104.8% | 110.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.6% | 88.5% | 103.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.4% | 81.8% | 87.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 812.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18,260 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Afghanistan?
- Age dependency ratio in Afghanistan was 81.8% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 110.6% in 2003.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.1% in 1960.
- How does Afghanistan rank for age dependency ratio?
- Afghanistan ranks 14th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or 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.