Malawi vs Zambia: Total dependency ratio

Malawi
78.3%
in 2023
Zambia
78.1%
in 2023
Malawi rank
25th
Zambia rank
27th

Total dependency ratio over time

  • Malawi
  • Zambia
0255075100195019862023

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 78.3% against 78.1% in Zambia, a difference of 0.2%.

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

Malawi ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 27th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 3 and Zambia in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malawi Zambia Difference Ahead
1950s 89.6% 92.8% 3.2% Zambia
1960s 86.1% 98.4% 12.3% Zambia
1970s 91.7% 107.1% 15.4% Zambia
1980s 96.2% 108.5% 12.3% Zambia
1990s 97.5% 103.7% 6.2% Zambia
2000s 99.4% 97.3% 2.1% Malawi
2010s 94.1% 88.6% 5.5% Malawi
2020s 81.4% 80.2% 1.2% Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher total dependency ratio, Malawi or Zambia?
Malawi, at 78.3% against 78.1% in Zambia as of 2023.
What is the difference in total dependency ratio between Malawi and Zambia?
0.2%, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for total dependency ratio?
Malawi ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 27th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Total dependency ratio. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Total 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

The number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).