Age dependency ratio in India
India: Age dependency ratio was 46.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in India, 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 India is 46.1%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in India peaked at 82.6% in 1966 and was at its lowest, 46.1%, in 2025.
That places India 175th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in India, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 78.2% | — |
| 1961 | 79.2% | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 80.4% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 81.5% | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 82.3% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 82.6% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 82.6% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 82.5% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 82.3% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 82.2% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 81.9% | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 81.6% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 81.3% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 81.0% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 80.7% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 80.2% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 79.7% | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 79.2% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 78.7% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 78.2% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 77.8% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 77.4% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 77.1% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 76.8% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 76.5% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 76.3% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 76.0% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 75.6% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 75.2% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 74.7% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 74.2% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 73.6% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 73.0% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 72.4% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 71.8% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 71.0% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 70.2% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 69.3% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 68.4% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 67.5% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 66.6% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 65.6% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 64.7% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 63.8% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 62.9% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 61.9% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 60.9% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 59.9% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 58.9% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 57.9% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 56.9% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 56.0% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 55.1% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 53.2% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 52.4% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 51.6% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 50.8% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 50.0% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 49.4% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 48.7% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 48.0% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 47.5% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 47.0% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 46.6% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 46.1% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 81.4% | 78.2% | 82.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 80.3% | 78.2% | 81.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.4% | 74.7% | 77.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.2% | 67.5% | 74.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.3% | 57.9% | 66.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.0% | 49.4% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.3% | 46.1% | 48.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,332 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 44,822 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.7713 % 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 0.116 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.9514 % 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 0.1259 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in India?
- Age dependency ratio in India was 46.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 82.6% in 1966.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.1% in 2025.
- How does India rank for age dependency ratio?
- India ranks 175th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.