Age dependency ratio, young in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Age dependency ratio, young was 33.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, young in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka stood at 33.0%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, young in Sri Lanka peaked at 74.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 33.0%, in 2025.
Sri Lanka ranks 109th of 217 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 74.7% | — |
| 1961 | 74.5% | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 74.0% | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 73.5% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 73.1% | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 72.9% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 72.5% | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 72.1% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 71.6% | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 71.0% | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 70.3% | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 69.7% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 68.9% | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 67.9% | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 66.7% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 65.5% | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 64.5% | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 63.6% | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 62.8% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 62.2% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 61.6% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 61.1% | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 60.7% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 60.2% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 59.7% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 58.8% | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 57.5% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 56.1% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 54.8% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 53.6% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 52.6% | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 51.6% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 50.0% | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 48.3% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 46.6% | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 45.1% | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 43.9% | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 42.9% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 42.0% | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 41.2% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 40.4% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 39.7% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 39.1% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 38.7% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 38.4% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 38.3% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 38.1% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 38.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 38.0% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 37.9% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 37.9% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 37.8% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 37.7% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 37.5% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 37.4% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 37.2% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 37.0% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 36.7% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 36.3% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 35.9% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 35.4% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 34.9% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 34.4% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 33.9% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 33.4% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 33.0% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 73.0% | 71.0% | 74.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 66.2% | 62.2% | 70.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.4% | 53.6% | 61.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.4% | 41.2% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.7% | 37.9% | 40.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.1% | 35.9% | 37.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.2% | 33.0% | 35.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More health data for Sri Lanka
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7332 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 304 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0149 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0098 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, young in Sri Lanka?
- Age dependency ratio, young in Sri Lanka was 33.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, young recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 74.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, young recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.0% in 2025.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for age dependency ratio, young?
- Sri Lanka ranks 109th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, young rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.