Old-age dependency ratio in Malawi
Malawi: Old-age dependency ratio was 4.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Old-age dependency ratio in Malawi, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, old-age dependency ratio in Malawi stood at 4.6%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in Malawi peaked at 8.3% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2023.
Malawi ranks 223rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.8% | 5.7% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.2% | 6.0% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.7% | 6.0% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.5% | 6.5% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 5.2% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More reference data data for Malawi
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0372 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.606 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3659 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.9529 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.5269 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 1,313 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is old-age dependency ratio in Malawi?
- Old-age dependency ratio in Malawi was 4.6% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 8.3% in 1988.
- What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2023.
- How does Malawi rank for old-age dependency ratio?
- Malawi ranks 223rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).