Age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Age dependency ratio was 47.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) is 47.8%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 89.7% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 47.8%, in 2025.
That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 36th out of 47 groups 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 88.0% | — |
| 1961 | 88.6% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 89.1% | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 89.5% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 89.6% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 89.7% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 89.6% | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 89.3% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 89.0% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 88.6% | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 88.0% | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 87.4% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 86.8% | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 86.1% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 85.3% | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 84.4% | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 83.6% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 82.7% | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 81.7% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 80.7% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 79.7% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 78.7% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 77.7% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 76.7% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 75.8% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 74.9% | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 74.0% | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 73.2% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 72.3% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 71.5% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 70.6% | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 69.6% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 68.7% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 67.8% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 66.9% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 65.9% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 65.0% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 64.1% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 63.2% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 62.2% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 61.3% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 60.4% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 59.5% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 58.7% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 57.8% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 57.0% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 56.1% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 55.3% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 54.5% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 53.8% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 53.1% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 52.4% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 51.9% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 51.3% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 50.9% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 50.4% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 50.0% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 49.7% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 49.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 49.2% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 48.9% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 48.6% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 48.3% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 48.1% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 47.9% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 47.8% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 89.1% | 88.0% | 89.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 84.7% | 80.7% | 88.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 75.5% | 71.5% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 66.4% | 62.2% | 70.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.4% | 53.8% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.8% | 49.2% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.3% | 47.8% | 48.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- 33 Ethiopia 72.6% compare
- 34 Eritrea 72.0% compare
- 35 Tonga 71.7% compare
- 36 Guinea-Bissau 71.1% compare
- 37 Palestine, State of 70.8% compare
- 38 Sao Tome and Principe 70.6% compare
- 39 Senegal 70.6% compare
More health data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0359 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0369 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 0.8651 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0376 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 0.3093 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 47.8% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 89.7% in 1965.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.8% in 2025.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for age dependency ratio?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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.