Age dependency ratio in Canada
Canada: Age dependency ratio was 54.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Canada, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Canada recorded 54.4% for age dependency ratio in 2025.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Canada peaked at 71.2% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 44.0%, in 2007.
Canada ranks 115th of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 70.6% | — |
| 1961 | 71.0% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 71.2% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 70.9% | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 70.4% | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 69.5% | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 68.2% | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 66.7% | -2.2% |
| 1968 | 65.1% | -2.4% |
| 1969 | 63.4% | -2.5% |
| 1970 | 61.5% | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 59.6% | -3.2% |
| 1972 | 57.8% | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 56.2% | -2.9% |
| 1974 | 54.5% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 53.0% | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 51.6% | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 50.4% | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 49.3% | -2.3% |
| 1979 | 48.2% | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 47.4% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 46.8% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 46.5% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 46.2% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 46.1% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 46.0% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 46.0% | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 46.2% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 46.4% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 46.7% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 47.0% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 47.3% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 47.7% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 47.9% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 47.9% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 47.9% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 47.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 47.6% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 47.3% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 46.9% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 46.5% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 46.0% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 45.6% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 45.2% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 44.8% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 44.4% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 44.1% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 44.0% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 44.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 44.1% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 44.2% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 44.6% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 45.2% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 46.0% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 46.8% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 47.6% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 48.4% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 49.1% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 49.7% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 50.4% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 51.2% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 52.0% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 52.6% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 53.1% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 53.6% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 54.4% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 68.7% | 63.4% | 71.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 54.2% | 48.2% | 61.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.4% | 46.0% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.5% | 46.9% | 47.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.9% | 44.0% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.2% | 44.2% | 50.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.8% | 51.2% | 54.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,083 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 385 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.0542 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0731 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.0818 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0767 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Canada?
- Age dependency ratio in Canada was 54.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 71.2% in 1962.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.0% in 2007.
- How does Canada rank for age dependency ratio?
- Canada ranks 115th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.