Age dependency breakdown in Nigeria

Nigeria: Age dependency breakdown was 5.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
5.5%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
206th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.1%
in 1986
All-time low
5.4%
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Age dependency breakdown in Nigeria, 1950–2023

0246195019862023

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

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 5.5% for age dependency breakdown in 2023.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency breakdown in Nigeria peaked at 6.1% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 1950.

Nigeria ranks 206th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 5.7% 5.4% 6.0% 10
1960s 6.1% 6.0% 6.1% 10
1970s 6.0% 6.0% 6.0% 10
1980s 6.1% 6.1% 6.1% 10
1990s 5.9% 5.7% 6.1% 10
2000s 5.7% 5.7% 5.7% 10
2010s 5.6% 5.5% 5.7% 10
2020s 5.5% 5.5% 5.5% 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 203 Benin 5.6% compare
  2. 204 Ethiopia 5.5% compare
  3. 205 Sierra Leone 5.5% compare
  4. 207 Guinea-Bissau 5.5% compare
  5. 208 Angola 5.3% compare
  6. 209 Papua New Guinea 5.3% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency breakdown in Nigeria?
Age dependency breakdown in Nigeria was 5.5% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest age dependency breakdown recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 1986.
What is the lowest age dependency breakdown recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 1950.
How does Nigeria rank for age dependency breakdown?
Nigeria ranks 206th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is age dependency breakdown rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nigeria 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).