USA: Age dependency ratio

The latest value from 2023 is 54.47 percent, an increase from 54.05 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 58.49 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2023 is 54.08 percent. The minimum value, 48.75 percent, was reached in 2007 while the maximum of 67.29 percent was recorded in 1961. See the global rankings or world map for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The age dependency ratio for the USA is calculated as follows: Age dependency = (people younger than 15 and older than 64) / (working age people ages 15-64). A higher value for the USA 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.