Age dependency breakdown in North Korea

North Korea: Age dependency breakdown was 17.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
17.4%
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
92nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
17.4%
in 2023
All-time low
4.8%
in 1952
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Age dependency breakdown in North Korea, 1950–2023

51015195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, age dependency breakdown in North Korea stood at 17.4%. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 13.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency breakdown in North Korea peaked at 17.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 1952.

That places North Korea 92nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 5.1% 4.8% 5.5% 10
1960s 5.8% 5.5% 6.1% 10
1970s 6.0% 5.9% 6.1% 10
1980s 6.1% 5.9% 6.4% 10
1990s 7.6% 6.5% 8.9% 10
2000s 11.8% 9.4% 13.9% 10
2010s 15.3% 14.3% 15.8% 10
2020s 16.6% 15.9% 17.4% 4

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 89 Dominica 18.4% compare
  2. 90 Mauritius 18.0% compare
  3. 91 Sri Lanka 17.8% compare
  4. 93 Singapore 17.4% compare
  5. 94 Grenada 17.4% compare
  6. 95 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17.3% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency breakdown in North Korea?
Age dependency breakdown in North Korea was 17.4% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest age dependency breakdown recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 17.4% in 2023.
What is the lowest age dependency breakdown recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 1952.
How does North Korea rank for age dependency breakdown?
North Korea ranks 92nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is age dependency breakdown rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Age dependency breakdown. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency breakdown
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 people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).