Age dependency ratio, young in OECD members
OECD members: Age dependency ratio, young was 25.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, young in OECD members, 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, young in OECD members is 25.5%, 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 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, young in OECD members peaked at 49.1% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 2025.
That places OECD members 41st out of 45 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, young in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 49.0% | — |
| 1961 | 49.1% | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 48.9% | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 48.6% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 48.4% | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 48.2% | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 48.0% | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 47.7% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 47.4% | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 47.1% | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 46.7% | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 46.3% | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 45.8% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 45.3% | -1.2% |
| 1974 | 44.7% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 44.0% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 43.3% | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 42.6% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 41.9% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 41.1% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 40.5% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 39.8% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 39.2% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 38.5% | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 37.9% | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 37.3% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 36.7% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 36.1% | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 35.7% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 35.3% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 34.9% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 34.6% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 34.3% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 34.0% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 33.7% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 33.3% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 33.0% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 32.6% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 32.2% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 31.8% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 31.5% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 31.2% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 30.8% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 30.5% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 30.1% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 29.8% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 29.4% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 29.1% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 28.9% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 28.7% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 28.5% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 28.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 28.2% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 28.1% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 28.0% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 27.8% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 27.7% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 27.5% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 27.4% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 27.2% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 27.0% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 26.8% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 26.5% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 26.2% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 25.8% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 25.5% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.2% | 47.1% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 44.2% | 41.1% | 46.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 37.7% | 35.3% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.4% | 31.8% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 28.7% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.9% | 27.2% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.3% | 25.5% | 27.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 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
- 43 Naoero 62.1% compare
- 44 Namibia 61.5% compare
More health data for OECD members
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0803 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -1.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, female, per capita 0.506 units per person (2025)
- Population, male 49.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 449.29 million (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 63.3% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male 455.55 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, young in OECD members?
- Age dependency ratio, young in OECD members was 25.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, young recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 49.1% in 1961.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, young recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 2025.
- How does OECD members rank for age dependency ratio, young?
- OECD members ranks 41st out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, young rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.