Old-age dependency ratio in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Old-age dependency ratio was 17.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Old-age dependency ratio in Sri Lanka, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, old-age dependency ratio in Sri Lanka stood at 17.8%. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 43.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in Sri Lanka peaked at 17.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 1968.
Sri Lanka ranks 91st 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10.4% | 8.0% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.0% | 6.7% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.0% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.3% | 7.5% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 9.1% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.8% | 9.3% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.3% | 11.1% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.0% | 16.2% | 17.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
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- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0088 °C (2026)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is old-age dependency ratio in Sri Lanka?
- Old-age dependency ratio in Sri Lanka was 17.8% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 17.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 1968.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for old-age dependency ratio?
- Sri Lanka ranks 91st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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
The number of people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).