Old-age dependency ratio in Palau
Palau: Old-age dependency ratio was 15.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
15.4%
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
104th
of 236 countries
All-time high
17.5%
in 1950
All-time low
7.4%
in 2000
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Old-age dependency ratio in Palau, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, old-age dependency ratio in Palau stood at 15.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 60.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in Palau peaked at 17.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2000.
That places Palau 104th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Old-age dependency ratio in Palau, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 17.5% | — |
| 1951 | 15.9% | -9.1% |
| 1952 | 14.6% | -8.6% |
| 1953 | 13.4% | -7.9% |
| 1954 | 12.5% | -7.1% |
| 1955 | 11.8% | -5.0% |
| 1956 | 11.4% | -3.9% |
| 1957 | 11.1% | -2.3% |
| 1958 | 10.7% | -3.4% |
| 1959 | 10.5% | -2.6% |
| 1960 | 10.2% | -2.3% |
| 1961 | 10.1% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 10.2% | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 10.3% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 10.3% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 10.4% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 10.5% | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 10.4% | -1.4% |
| 1968 | 9.7% | -6.6% |
| 1969 | 9.0% | -7.0% |
| 1970 | 8.7% | -3.1% |
| 1971 | 8.8% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 9.0% | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 9.1% | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 9.0% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 8.8% | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 8.7% | -1.3% |
| 1977 | 8.6% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 8.8% | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 9.1% | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 9.4% | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 9.3% | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 9.1% | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 8.8% | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 8.7% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 8.7% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 8.7% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 8.8% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 9.0% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 9.2% | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 9.3% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 9.2% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 9.0% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 8.8% | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 8.6% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 8.4% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 8.2% | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 7.9% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 7.6% | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 7.5% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 7.4% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 7.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 7.5% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 7.7% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 8.0% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 7.9% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 8.1% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 8.3% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 8.5% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 9.1% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 9.6% | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 10.1% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 10.5% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 10.9% | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 11.5% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 12.8% | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 13.4% | +5.0% |
| 2021 | 14.0% | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 15.4% | +4.9% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's 15.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 25.9%, 60% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Palau's 15.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10.6%, 1.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.9% | 10.5% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 10.1% | 9.0% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.9% | 8.6% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.4% | 7.5% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.8% | 7.4% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.4% | 8.5% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 13.4% | 15.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Palau
- 101 Bahamas 16.4% compare
- 102 Antigua and Barbuda 15.9% compare
- 103 Lebanon 15.5% compare
- 105 French Polynesia 15.4% compare
- 106 Brazil 15.3% compare
- 107 Saint Kitts and Nevis 15.1% compare
More reference data data for Palau
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture 0 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0 (2019)
- Consumer price index 160.77 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is old-age dependency ratio in Palau?
- Old-age dependency ratio in Palau was 15.4% 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 Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 17.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2000.
- How does Palau rank for old-age dependency ratio?
- Palau ranks 104th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Palau 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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About this data
Number of people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).