Iceland vs Ireland: Old-age dependency ratio

Iceland
23.0%
in 2023
Ireland
23.7%
in 2023
Iceland rank
73rd
Ireland rank
70th

Old-age dependency ratio over time

  • Iceland
  • Ireland
0510152025195019862023

How they compare

Ireland currently reports 23.7% against 23.0% in Iceland, a difference of 0.7%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Ireland ahead.

Iceland ranks 73rd and Ireland ranks 70th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 2 and Ireland in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland Ireland Difference Ahead
1950s 12.9% 18.4% 5.4% Ireland
1960s 14.6% 19.4% 4.7% Ireland
1970s 15.2% 18.7% 3.4% Ireland
1980s 16.0% 18.2% 2.2% Ireland
1990s 17.3% 17.8% 0.5% Ireland
2000s 17.6% 16.2% 1.4% Iceland
2010s 20.1% 19.5% 0.6% Iceland
2020s 22.5% 23.0% 0.5% Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher old-age dependency ratio, Iceland or Ireland?
Ireland, at 23.7% against 23.0% in Iceland as of 2023.
What is the difference in old-age dependency ratio between Iceland and Ireland?
0.7%, with Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Ireland?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do Iceland and Ireland rank globally for old-age dependency ratio?
Iceland ranks 73rd and Ireland ranks 70th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Old-age dependency ratio. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iceland vs Ireland: Old-age dependency ratio. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/age-dependency-ratio-old/iceland/ireland/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/age-dependency-ratio-old/iceland/ireland/">Iceland vs Ireland: Old-age dependency ratio</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Old-age dependency ratio
Unit
%
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Number of people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).