Age dependency ratio in OECD members
OECD members: Age dependency ratio was 55.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in OECD members, 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 OECD members stood at 55.3%.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in OECD members peaked at 63.6% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 50.0%, in 2007.
That places OECD members 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 63.2% | — |
| 1961 | 63.6% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 63.6% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 63.4% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 63.4% | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 63.5% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 63.5% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 63.4% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 63.3% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 63.1% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 62.9% | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 62.6% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 62.2% | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 61.8% | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 61.3% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 60.8% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 60.2% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 59.6% | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 59.0% | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 58.4% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 57.7% | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 57.0% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 56.2% | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 55.4% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 54.7% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 54.1% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 53.7% | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 53.3% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 53.0% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 52.8% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 52.6% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 52.5% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 52.3% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 52.2% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 52.1% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 51.9% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 51.7% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 51.4% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 51.2% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 51.0% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 50.8% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 50.7% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 50.5% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 50.4% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 50.2% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 50.1% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 50.0% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 50.0% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 50.1% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 50.2% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 50.4% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 50.8% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 51.3% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 51.7% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 52.1% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 52.5% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 52.9% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 53.2% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 53.5% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 53.9% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 54.2% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 54.4% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 54.6% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 54.9% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 55.3% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.4% | 63.1% | 63.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 60.9% | 58.4% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 54.8% | 52.8% | 57.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.9% | 51.0% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.3% | 50.0% | 50.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.9% | 50.2% | 53.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.5% | 53.9% | 55.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More health data for OECD members
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0803 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -1.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, female, per capita 0.506 units per person (2025)
- Population, male 49.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 449.29 million (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 63.3% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male 455.55 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in OECD members?
- Age dependency ratio in OECD members was 55.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 63.6% in 1961.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.0% in 2007.
- How does OECD members rank for age dependency ratio?
- OECD members ranks 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.