Old-age dependency ratio in France

France: Old-age dependency ratio was 35.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
35.3%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
16th
of 236 countries
All-time high
35.3%
in 2023
All-time low
17.3%
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Old-age dependency ratio in France, 1950–2023

010203040195019862023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for old-age dependency ratio in France is 35.3%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 25.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in France peaked at 35.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 1950.

France ranks 16th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 17.8% 17.3% 18.4% 10
1960s 19.4% 18.6% 20.5% 10
1970s 21.4% 20.6% 22.1% 10
1980s 20.4% 19.6% 21.9% 10
1990s 22.9% 21.2% 24.4% 10
2000s 25.1% 24.6% 25.7% 10
2010s 29.4% 25.9% 32.9% 10
2020s 34.4% 33.5% 35.3% 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 13 Croatia 36.2% compare
  2. 14 Isle of Man 36.1% compare
  3. 15 Germany 36.0% compare
  4. 17 Serbia 35.3% compare
  5. 18 Bulgaria 34.3% compare
  6. 19 Latvia 33.9% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is old-age dependency ratio in France?
Old-age dependency ratio in France was 35.3% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest old-age dependency ratio recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 35.3% in 2023.
What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 1950.
How does France rank for old-age dependency ratio?
France ranks 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Old-age dependency ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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

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