Age dependency ratio, young in World
World: Age dependency ratio, young was 37.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio, young in World, 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 World is 37.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio, young in World peaked at 66.9% in 1966 and was at its lowest, 37.4%, in 2025.
World ranks 22nd of 45 groups 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 World, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 64.9% | — |
| 1961 | 65.1% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 65.4% | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 66.1% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 66.6% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 66.8% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 66.9% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 66.8% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 66.6% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 66.5% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 66.2% | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 65.9% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 65.6% | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 65.1% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 64.9% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 64.6% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 64.3% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 63.7% | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 62.5% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 61.4% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 60.5% | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 59.6% | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 58.9% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 58.1% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 57.3% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 56.6% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 55.9% | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 55.4% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 54.9% | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 54.5% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 54.3% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 53.9% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 53.6% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 53.2% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 52.7% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 52.2% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 51.5% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 50.8% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 50.0% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 49.2% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 48.4% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 47.6% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 46.7% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 45.9% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 45.1% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 44.3% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 43.6% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 43.1% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 42.6% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 42.2% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 41.9% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 41.6% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 41.4% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 41.2% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 41.1% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 40.9% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 40.7% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 40.6% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 40.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 40.1% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 39.8% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 39.5% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 39.0% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 38.5% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 38.0% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 37.4% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 66.2% | 64.9% | 66.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.4% | 61.4% | 66.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 57.2% | 54.5% | 60.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.1% | 49.2% | 54.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.9% | 42.2% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.0% | 40.1% | 41.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.7% | 37.4% | 39.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
More health data for World
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.3116 % 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 0.1186 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.4394 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1255 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate -0.3771 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.2441 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 1.06 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio, young in World?
- Age dependency ratio, young in World was 37.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio, young recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 66.9% in 1966.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio, young recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.4% in 2025.
- How does World rank for age dependency ratio, young?
- World ranks 22nd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio, young rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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.