Australia: Age dependency ratio

The latest value from 2025 is 55.7 percent, an increase from 55.21 percent in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 57.96 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Australia from 1960 to 2025 is 53.32 percent. The minimum value, 48.13 percent, was reached in 2008 while the maximum of 63.25 percent was recorded in 1961. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The age dependency ratio for Australia is calculated as follows: Age dependency = (people younger than 15 and older than 64) / (working age people ages 15-64). A higher value for Australia and other countries means that employed people have to support more non-working people, either young or old.

Definition: Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.