Old-age dependency ratio in Sweden
Sweden: Old-age dependency ratio was 33.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
33.0%
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
24th
of 236 countries
All-time high
33.0%
in 2023
All-time low
15.3%
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Old-age dependency ratio in Sweden, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 33.0% for old-age dependency ratio in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in Sweden peaked at 33.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 1950.
Sweden ranks 24th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Old-age dependency ratio in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 15.3% | — |
| 1951 | 15.6% | +1.7% |
| 1952 | 15.9% | +1.9% |
| 1953 | 16.2% | +2.0% |
| 1954 | 16.5% | +1.7% |
| 1955 | 16.7% | +1.5% |
| 1956 | 17.0% | +1.7% |
| 1957 | 17.2% | +1.3% |
| 1958 | 17.4% | +1.1% |
| 1959 | 17.6% | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 17.8% | +1.2% |
| 1961 | 18.1% | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 18.3% | +1.2% |
| 1963 | 18.5% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 18.8% | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 19.1% | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 19.4% | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 19.8% | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 20.2% | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 20.5% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 20.9% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 21.3% | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 21.9% | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 22.4% | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 23.0% | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 23.5% | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 24.0% | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 24.4% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 24.8% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 25.2% | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 25.4% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 25.6% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 25.8% | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 26.1% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 26.3% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 26.7% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 27.1% | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 27.4% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 27.6% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 27.6% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 27.6% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 27.7% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 27.6% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 27.6% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 27.5% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 27.4% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 27.4% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 27.3% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 27.2% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 27.0% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 26.8% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 26.7% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 26.5% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 26.4% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 26.4% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 26.4% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 26.4% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 26.5% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 26.9% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 27.4% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 28.0% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 28.8% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 29.5% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 30.2% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 30.8% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 31.3% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 31.5% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 31.6% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 31.8% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 32.0% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 32.2% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 32.5% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 32.7% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 33.0% | +0.9% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 33.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 25.9%, 1.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 33.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.1%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 16.5% | 15.3% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.1% | 17.8% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 23.1% | 20.9% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.6% | 25.4% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.4% | 27.0% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.7% | 26.4% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.6% | 28.0% | 32.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.6% | 32.2% | 33.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More reference data data for Sweden
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4328 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2237 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9766 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.12 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is old-age dependency ratio in Sweden?
- Old-age dependency ratio in Sweden was 33.0% 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 33.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 1950.
- How does Sweden rank for old-age dependency ratio?
- Sweden ranks 24th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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).