Age dependency ratio in Malawi
Malawi: Age dependency ratio was 74.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Age dependency ratio in Malawi, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 74.6% for age dependency ratio in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Malawi peaked at 100.4% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 74.6%, in 2025.
Malawi ranks 29th of 217 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Age dependency ratio in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 85.5% | — |
| 1961 | 85.0% | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 84.5% | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 84.6% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 85.0% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 85.6% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 86.4% | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 87.3% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 88.2% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 89.0% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 89.8% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 90.4% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 90.9% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 91.3% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 91.6% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 91.9% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 92.2% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 92.4% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 92.8% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 93.4% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 94.1% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 94.8% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 95.5% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 96.1% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 96.6% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 96.9% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 97.2% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 96.9% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 96.7% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 96.9% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 97.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 97.4% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 97.7% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 97.9% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 97.9% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 97.8% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 97.5% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 97.2% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 97.1% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 97.4% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 97.9% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 98.4% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 98.8% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 99.2% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 99.5% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 99.9% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 100.2% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 100.4% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 100.2% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 99.8% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 99.3% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 98.7% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 97.9% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 96.9% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 95.6% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 94.2% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 92.5% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 90.6% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 88.7% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 86.7% | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 84.6% | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 82.5% | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 80.3% | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 78.3% | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 76.3% | -2.5% |
| 2025 | 74.6% | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 86.1% | 84.5% | 89.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 91.7% | 89.8% | 93.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 96.2% | 94.1% | 97.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 97.5% | 97.1% | 97.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 99.4% | 97.9% | 100.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.1% | 86.7% | 99.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.4% | 74.6% | 84.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 856.3 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2005 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2007 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Malawi?
- Age dependency ratio in Malawi was 74.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 100.4% in 2007.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.6% in 2025.
- How does Malawi rank for age dependency ratio?
- Malawi ranks 29th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi 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.