Old-age dependency ratio in Somalia

Somalia: Old-age dependency ratio was 5.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
5.1%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
215th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.5%
in 1972
All-time low
4.6%
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Old-age dependency ratio in Somalia, 1950–2023

0246195019862023

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

Analysis

In 2023, old-age dependency ratio in Somalia stood at 5.1%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in Somalia peaked at 6.5% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 1950.

Somalia ranks 215th 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 5.3% 4.6% 5.9% 10
1960s 6.3% 6.0% 6.5% 10
1970s 6.4% 6.4% 6.5% 10
1980s 6.3% 6.2% 6.4% 10
1990s 5.5% 5.2% 6.1% 10
2000s 5.1% 5.0% 5.2% 10
2010s 4.8% 4.7% 5.0% 10
2020s 5.0% 5.0% 5.1% 4

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 212 Congo 5.2% compare
  2. 213 Niger 5.1% compare
  3. 214 South Sudan 5.1% compare
  4. 216 Cameroon 5.0% compare
  5. 218 Kenya 4.9% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is old-age dependency ratio in Somalia?
Old-age dependency ratio in Somalia was 5.1% 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 Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 1972.
What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 1950.
How does Somalia rank for old-age dependency ratio?
Somalia ranks 215th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Somalia 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

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).