Old-age dependency ratio in India

India: Old-age dependency ratio was 10.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
10.2%
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
141st
of 236 countries
All-time high
10.2%
in 2023
All-time low
5.3%
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Old-age dependency ratio in India, 1950–2023

02.557.510195019862023

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 India is 10.2%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in India peaked at 10.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 1950.

India ranks 141st of 236 countries on this measure, 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 5.6% 5.3% 5.8% 10
1960s 6.3% 5.9% 6.6% 10
1970s 6.9% 6.7% 7.0% 10
1980s 7.0% 7.0% 7.0% 10
1990s 7.1% 7.0% 7.3% 10
2000s 7.5% 7.3% 7.7% 10
2010s 8.4% 7.8% 9.3% 10
2020s 9.8% 9.5% 10.2% 4

Countries ranked near India

  1. 138 Myanmar 10.4% compare
  2. 139 Indonesia 10.4% compare
  3. 140 Samoa 10.3% compare
  4. 142 Algeria 10.1% compare
  5. 143 Guyana 10.1% compare
  6. 144 Paraguay 9.8% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is old-age dependency ratio in India?
Old-age dependency ratio in India was 10.2% 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 10.2% in 2023.
What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 1950.
How does India rank for old-age dependency ratio?
India ranks 141st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India 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).