Age dependency ratio, young in South Africa
South Africa: Age dependency ratio, young was 38.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, young in South Africa, 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 South Africa stood at 38.2%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, young in South Africa peaked at 78.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 38.2%, in 2025.
South Africa ranks 93rd of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio, young in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 77.2% | — |
| 1961 | 77.2% | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 77.2% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 77.1% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 77.1% | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 77.2% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 77.5% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 77.7% | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 77.8% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 77.9% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 78.0% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 78.0% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 77.9% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 77.7% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 77.2% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 76.9% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 76.4% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 75.7% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 75.1% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 74.0% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 72.7% | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 71.5% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 70.6% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 69.8% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 69.0% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 68.2% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 67.4% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 66.6% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 65.7% | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 64.7% | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 64.1% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 64.3% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 63.4% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 63.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 64.3% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 64.6% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 63.9% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 62.0% | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 60.0% | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 57.8% | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 55.7% | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 53.5% | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 51.6% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 49.9% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 48.7% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 47.7% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 46.8% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 46.1% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 45.6% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 45.0% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 44.4% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 43.9% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 43.5% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 43.1% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 42.7% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 42.8% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 42.8% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 42.0% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 41.2% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 40.4% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 39.6% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 39.1% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 38.7% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 38.4% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 38.2% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 77.4% | 77.1% | 77.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 77.0% | 75.1% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.6% | 65.7% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.5% | 60.0% | 64.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.3% | 45.6% | 57.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.1% | 41.2% | 45.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.1% | 38.2% | 40.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0371 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 4.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0295 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, young in South Africa?
- Age dependency ratio, young in South Africa was 38.2% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, young recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 78.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, young recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.2% in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for age dependency ratio, young?
- South Africa ranks 93rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, young rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South 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, 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.