Old-age dependency ratio in Spain

Spain: Old-age dependency ratio was 31.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
31.2%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
32nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
31.2%
in 2023
All-time low
10.9%
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Old-age dependency ratio in Spain, 1950–2023

0102030195019862023

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 Spain is 31.2%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 17.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in Spain peaked at 31.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.9%, in 1950.

That places Spain 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 11.7% 10.9% 12.4% 10
1960s 13.8% 12.7% 15.0% 10
1970s 16.4% 15.4% 17.5% 10
1980s 18.5% 17.7% 19.9% 10
1990s 21.9% 20.3% 23.7% 10
2000s 24.2% 23.8% 24.7% 10
2010s 27.3% 24.8% 29.3% 10
2020s 30.3% 29.5% 31.2% 4

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 29 Bermuda 32.0% compare
  2. 30 Hong Kong 31.8% compare
  3. 31 Belgium 31.7% compare
  4. 33 Netherlands 31.1% compare
  5. 35 Austria 30.7% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is old-age dependency ratio in Spain?
Old-age dependency ratio in Spain was 31.2% 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 Spain?
The highest recorded value was 31.2% in 2023.
What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 10.9% in 1950.
How does Spain rank for old-age dependency ratio?
Spain ranks 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain 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).