Age dependency ratio in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Age dependency ratio was 59.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan stood at 59.6%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 90.8% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 59.6%, in 2025.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 16th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 84.6% | — |
| 1961 | 85.4% | +1.0% |
| 1962 | 86.2% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 87.1% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 88.0% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 88.7% | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 89.4% | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 89.9% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 90.3% | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 90.5% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 90.7% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 90.7% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 90.8% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 90.7% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 90.5% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 90.5% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 90.5% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 90.4% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 90.1% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 89.8% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 89.3% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 88.6% | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 88.1% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 88.1% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 88.2% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 88.3% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 88.2% | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 88.1% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 88.0% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 87.9% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 87.5% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 86.9% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 86.6% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 86.3% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 85.6% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 84.5% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 83.2% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 81.7% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 80.0% | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 78.4% | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 76.6% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 75.0% | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 73.5% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 72.1% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 70.6% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 69.1% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 67.7% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 66.3% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 65.3% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 64.5% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 64.0% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 63.7% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 63.5% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 63.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 63.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 63.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 63.6% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 63.5% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 63.4% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 63.2% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 62.8% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 62.4% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 61.7% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 61.1% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 60.4% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 59.6% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 88.0% | 84.6% | 90.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 90.5% | 89.8% | 90.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 88.3% | 87.9% | 89.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 84.1% | 78.4% | 87.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.1% | 64.5% | 76.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.6% | 63.2% | 64.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.3% | 59.6% | 62.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
More health data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0387 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0337 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0305 units per person (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Age dependency ratio in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 59.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 90.8% in 1972.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.6% in 2025.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for age dependency ratio?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.