Age dependency ratio, young in North America
North America: Age dependency ratio, young was 26.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, young in North America, 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, young in North America stood at 26.1%. 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 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, young in North America peaked at 53.1% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 26.1%, in 2025.
North America ranks 39th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, young in North America, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 52.7% | — |
| 1961 | 53.1% | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 52.9% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 52.5% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 52.1% | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 51.6% | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 50.9% | -1.4% |
| 1967 | 49.9% | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 48.8% | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 47.6% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 46.5% | -2.4% |
| 1971 | 45.2% | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 43.8% | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 42.2% | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 40.6% | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 39.1% | -3.7% |
| 1976 | 37.6% | -3.7% |
| 1977 | 36.4% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 35.3% | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 34.4% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 33.7% | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 33.2% | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 32.9% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 32.7% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 32.4% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 32.1% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 31.8% | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 31.8% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 31.9% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 32.2% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 32.4% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 32.7% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 32.9% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 33.0% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 33.0% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 32.8% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 32.6% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 32.3% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 32.0% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 31.7% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 31.4% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 31.1% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 30.8% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 30.4% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 30.1% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 29.7% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 29.3% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 29.1% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 28.9% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 28.8% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 28.7% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 28.6% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 28.5% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 28.5% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 28.4% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 28.4% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 28.3% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 28.2% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 28.0% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 27.9% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 27.6% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 27.4% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 27.0% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 26.7% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 26.4% | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 26.1% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 51.2% | 47.6% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.1% | 34.4% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.5% | 31.8% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.5% | 31.7% | 33.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 28.8% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.3% | 27.9% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.9% | 26.1% | 27.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 36 Senegal 64.4% compare
- 37 Palestine, State of 64.2% compare
- 38 Sao Tome and Principe 63.9% compare
- 39 Sierra Leone 63.7% compare
- 40 Comoros 62.8% compare
- 41 Rwanda 62.8% compare
- 42 Equatorial Guinea 62.7% compare
More health data for North America
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0865 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, annual growth rate 4.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0175 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.6988 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0822 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.7076 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, young in North America?
- Age dependency ratio, young in North America was 26.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, young recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 53.1% in 1961.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, young recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.1% in 2025.
- How does North America rank for age dependency ratio, young?
- North America ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, young rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio, young (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.