Age dependency ratio in Zambia
Zambia: Age dependency ratio was 75.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Zambia, 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 Zambia stood at 75.3%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Zambia peaked at 111.1% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 75.3%, in 2025.
Zambia ranks 27th of 217 countries 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 95.6% | — |
| 1961 | 96.2% | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 96.8% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 97.7% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 98.6% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 99.2% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 99.5% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 99.8% | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 100.2% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 100.7% | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 101.7% | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 103.1% | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 104.5% | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 105.8% | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 107.0% | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 108.1% | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 109.1% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 109.9% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 110.6% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 111.0% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 111.1% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 110.8% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 110.2% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 109.4% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 108.8% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 108.2% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 107.5% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 106.8% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 106.3% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 105.7% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 105.2% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 104.7% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 104.3% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 103.9% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 103.7% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 103.6% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 103.4% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 103.1% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 102.7% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 102.2% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 101.5% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 100.5% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 99.4% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 98.5% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 97.6% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 96.8% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 95.9% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 95.1% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 94.2% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 93.4% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 92.6% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 91.9% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 91.2% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 90.4% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 89.4% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 88.4% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 87.3% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 86.1% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 84.9% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 83.6% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 82.3% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 80.9% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 79.5% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 78.1% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 76.7% | -1.8% |
| 2025 | 75.3% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 98.4% | 95.6% | 100.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 107.1% | 101.7% | 111.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 108.5% | 105.7% | 111.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 103.7% | 102.2% | 105.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 97.3% | 93.4% | 101.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.6% | 83.6% | 92.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.8% | 75.3% | 82.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 809.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,894 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2024)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 299 (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Zambia?
- Age dependency ratio in Zambia was 75.3% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 111.1% in 1980.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.3% in 2025.
- How does Zambia rank for age dependency ratio?
- Zambia ranks 27th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.