Age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Age dependency ratio was 47.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
In 2025, age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 47.8%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 88.8% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 47.8%, in 2025.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 37th 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, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 87.3% | — |
| 1961 | 87.8% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 88.3% | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 88.6% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 88.8% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 88.8% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 88.7% | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 88.5% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 88.1% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 87.7% | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 87.1% | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 86.5% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 85.8% | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 85.1% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 84.3% | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 83.4% | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 82.6% | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 81.6% | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 80.7% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 79.7% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 78.7% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 77.7% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 76.7% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 75.8% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 74.9% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 74.0% | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 73.2% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 72.3% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 71.5% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 70.7% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 69.8% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 68.9% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 68.1% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 67.2% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 66.3% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 65.4% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 64.5% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 63.6% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 62.7% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 61.8% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 60.9% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 60.1% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 59.2% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 58.3% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 57.5% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 56.6% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 55.8% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 55.0% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 54.3% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 53.5% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 52.8% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 52.2% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 51.6% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 51.1% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 50.7% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 50.3% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 49.9% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 49.6% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 49.3% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 49.1% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 48.9% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 48.5% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 48.3% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 48.1% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 47.9% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 47.8% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 88.3% | 87.3% | 88.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 83.7% | 79.7% | 87.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.5% | 70.7% | 78.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.8% | 61.8% | 69.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.1% | 53.5% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.7% | 49.1% | 52.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.2% | 47.8% | 48.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 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
- 40 Comoros 70.4% compare
More health data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population ages 50-54, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per capita 0.0399 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0277 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, annual growth rate -0.5923 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, female, per capita 0.0298 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Age dependency ratio in Latin America & Caribbean 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?
- The highest recorded value was 88.8% in 1965.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.8% in 2025.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for age dependency ratio?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 37th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.