Age dependency ratio in Jamaica
Jamaica: Age dependency ratio was 36.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Jamaica, 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 Jamaica is 36.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Jamaica peaked at 104.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 36.7%, in 2025.
Jamaica ranks 208th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 83.2% | — |
| 1961 | 85.5% | +2.7% |
| 1962 | 87.7% | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 90.1% | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 92.8% | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 95.5% | +2.9% |
| 1966 | 97.9% | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 100.1% | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 102.1% | +1.9% |
| 1969 | 103.4% | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 104.0% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 103.9% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 103.2% | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 101.9% | -1.2% |
| 1974 | 100.4% | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 98.7% | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 96.9% | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 95.2% | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 93.4% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 91.5% | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 89.5% | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 87.6% | -2.2% |
| 1982 | 85.7% | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 84.0% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 82.6% | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 81.4% | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 80.2% | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 79.0% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 77.9% | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 76.7% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 75.6% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 74.6% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 73.9% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 73.2% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 72.4% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 71.6% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 70.6% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 69.4% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 68.0% | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 66.4% | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 64.7% | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 63.1% | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 61.5% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 59.9% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 58.4% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 57.0% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 55.5% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 53.8% | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 52.2% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 50.6% | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 49.1% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 47.6% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 46.2% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 44.9% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 43.6% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 42.5% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 41.5% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 40.7% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 39.8% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 39.0% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 38.3% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 37.7% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 37.2% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 37.0% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 36.8% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 36.7% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 93.8% | 83.2% | 103.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 98.9% | 91.5% | 104.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 82.5% | 76.7% | 89.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.6% | 66.4% | 75.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.7% | 50.6% | 64.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.5% | 39.0% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 36.7% | 38.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 205 Saint Lucia 37.4% compare
- 206 Oman 37.0% compare
- 207 Bhutan 37.0% compare
- 209 Saudi Arabia 36.4% compare
- 210 Singapore 35.0% compare
- 211 Cayman Islands 34.4% compare
More health data for Jamaica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3325 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,308 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 31 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Jamaica?
- Age dependency ratio in Jamaica was 36.7% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 104.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.7% in 2025.
- How does Jamaica rank for age dependency ratio?
- Jamaica ranks 208th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.