Age dependency ratio in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
South Asia (IDA & IBRD): Age dependency ratio was 47.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in South Asia (IDA & IBRD), 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 South Asia (IDA & IBRD) is 47.0%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in South Asia (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 83.0% in 1966 and was at its lowest, 47.0%, in 2025.
That places South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 41st 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 South Asia (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 78.6% | — |
| 1961 | 79.6% | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 80.6% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 81.7% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 82.5% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 82.8% | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 83.0% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 82.9% | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 82.9% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 82.8% | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 82.6% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 82.4% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 82.2% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 82.0% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 81.7% | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 81.4% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 81.0% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 80.5% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 80.1% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 79.7% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 79.3% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 79.1% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 78.8% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 78.5% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 78.3% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 78.0% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 77.6% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 77.2% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 76.7% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 76.1% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 75.5% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 74.8% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 74.1% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 73.3% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 72.5% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 71.7% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 70.8% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 69.8% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 68.8% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 67.8% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 66.8% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 65.9% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 65.0% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 64.2% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 63.3% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 62.3% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 61.4% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 60.4% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 59.5% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 58.5% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 57.6% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 56.6% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 55.7% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 54.8% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 53.8% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 53.0% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 52.1% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 51.3% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 50.7% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 50.1% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 49.4% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 48.8% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 48.3% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 47.8% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 47.4% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 47.0% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 81.7% | 78.6% | 83.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 81.4% | 79.7% | 82.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 78.0% | 76.1% | 79.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.9% | 67.8% | 75.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.7% | 58.5% | 66.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.6% | 50.1% | 57.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.1% | 47.0% | 49.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
- 38 Sao Tome and Principe 70.6% compare
- 39 Senegal 70.6% compare
- 40 Comoros 70.4% compare
- 41 Japan 70.2% compare
- 42 South Sudan 69.7% compare
- 43 Rwanda 69.6% compare
- 44 Sierra Leone 69.3% compare
More health data for South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 2.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, annual growth rate 2.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0182 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 2.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, per capita 0.0146 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- Age dependency ratio in South Asia (IDA & IBRD) was 47.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 83.0% in 1966.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.0% in 2025.
- How does South Asia (IDA & IBRD) rank for age dependency ratio?
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.