Age dependency ratio in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Age dependency ratio was 78.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Zimbabwe, 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 Zimbabwe is 78.1%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Zimbabwe peaked at 109.7% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 78.1%, in 2025.
That places Zimbabwe 21st out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 103.0% | — |
| 1961 | 104.4% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 106.0% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 107.9% | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 108.8% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 108.4% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 108.0% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 107.6% | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 107.2% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 106.8% | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 106.3% | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 105.9% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 105.6% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 105.5% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 105.4% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 105.5% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 105.7% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 106.3% | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 107.8% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 109.7% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 108.9% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 107.1% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 106.4% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 105.8% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 105.5% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 104.9% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 104.2% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 104.0% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 103.9% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 102.7% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 100.8% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 98.7% | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 99.6% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 101.1% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 99.9% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 97.6% | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 94.1% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 90.5% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 87.2% | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 84.6% | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 82.8% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 81.6% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 81.0% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 81.2% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 81.6% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 82.2% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 82.5% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 82.8% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 83.5% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 84.5% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 85.7% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 86.8% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 87.9% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 88.6% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 88.9% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 88.8% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 88.3% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 87.5% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 86.5% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 85.4% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 84.4% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 83.4% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 82.5% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 81.6% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 80.1% | -1.9% |
| 2025 | 78.1% | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 106.8% | 103.0% | 108.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 106.4% | 105.4% | 109.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 105.3% | 102.7% | 108.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 95.4% | 84.6% | 101.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.4% | 81.0% | 84.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 87.5% | 85.4% | 88.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.7% | 78.1% | 84.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More health data for Zimbabwe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 874.6 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,457 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.414 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.4476 % 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 0.2028 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Zimbabwe?
- Age dependency ratio in Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 109.7% in 1979.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.1% in 2025.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for age dependency ratio?
- Zimbabwe ranks 21st out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.