Age dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Age dependency ratio was 78.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa is 78.1%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 95.1% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 78.1%, in 2025.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 85.7% | — |
| 1961 | 86.1% | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 86.5% | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 87.1% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 87.6% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 88.2% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 88.7% | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 89.2% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 89.7% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 90.2% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 90.7% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 91.3% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 91.8% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 92.3% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 92.7% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 93.0% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 93.4% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 93.8% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 94.1% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 94.4% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 94.6% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 94.8% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 95.0% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 95.0% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 95.1% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 95.0% | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 95.0% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 94.9% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 94.8% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 94.6% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 94.4% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 94.1% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 93.9% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 93.7% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 93.3% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 93.0% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 93.0% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 93.0% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 92.6% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 92.1% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 91.7% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 91.4% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 91.0% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 90.7% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 90.5% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 90.2% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 90.1% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 89.9% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 89.7% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 89.4% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 89.1% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 88.7% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 88.3% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 87.9% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 87.4% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 86.8% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 86.2% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 85.4% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 84.6% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 83.7% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 82.8% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 81.9% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 80.9% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 80.0% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 79.0% | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 78.1% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 87.9% | 85.7% | 90.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 92.8% | 90.7% | 94.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 94.9% | 94.6% | 95.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 93.3% | 92.1% | 94.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 90.5% | 89.4% | 91.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.8% | 83.7% | 89.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.5% | 78.1% | 82.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2041 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.2837 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1997 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.4038 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Age dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa was 78.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 95.1% in 1984.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.1% in 2025.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for age dependency ratio?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.