United Kingdom: Age dependency ratio

The latest value from 2025 is 57.9 percent, a decline from 57.94 percent in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 57.96 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for the United Kingdom from 1960 to 2025 is 55.19 percent. The minimum value, 51.16 percent, was reached in 2007 while the maximum of 60.15 percent was recorded in 1973. 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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.