Age dependency ratio in Ghana
Ghana: Age dependency ratio was 64.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Ghana, 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 in Ghana is 64.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Ghana peaked at 106.6% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 64.5%, in 2025.
That places Ghana 58th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 93.5% | — |
| 1961 | 95.7% | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 98.1% | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 100.2% | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 101.9% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 103.2% | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 104.2% | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 105.1% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 105.8% | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 106.3% | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 106.6% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 106.4% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 105.8% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 105.1% | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 104.3% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 103.5% | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 102.0% | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 100.1% | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 98.4% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 96.9% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 95.5% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 94.1% | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 93.0% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 92.1% | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 91.6% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 91.7% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 92.1% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 92.4% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 92.4% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 92.2% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 91.9% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 91.6% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 91.3% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 90.5% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 89.5% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 88.6% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 87.9% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 86.8% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 85.5% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 84.3% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 83.2% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 82.0% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 80.8% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 79.7% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 78.7% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 77.7% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 76.8% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 76.0% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 75.1% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 74.4% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 73.9% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 73.5% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 73.3% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 73.0% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 72.7% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 72.3% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 71.7% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 71.0% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 70.2% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 69.5% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 68.6% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 67.7% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 66.9% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 66.1% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 65.4% | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 64.5% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 101.4% | 93.5% | 106.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 102.9% | 96.9% | 106.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 92.7% | 91.6% | 95.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 88.8% | 84.3% | 91.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.4% | 74.4% | 83.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.1% | 69.5% | 73.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.5% | 64.5% | 68.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More health data for Ghana
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6224 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 986.1 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,361 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.736 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1749 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.7544 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1794 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Ghana?
- Age dependency ratio in Ghana was 64.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 106.6% in 1970.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.5% in 2025.
- How does Ghana rank for age dependency ratio?
- Ghana ranks 58th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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.