Old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay

Uruguay: Old-age dependency ratio was 24.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
24.0%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
68th
of 236 countries
All-time high
24.0%
in 2023
All-time low
12.7%
in 1957
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay, 1950–2023

0510152025195019862023

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 Uruguay is 24.0%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay peaked at 24.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 1957.

Uruguay ranks 68th 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.

Old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay, year by year

Annual values for Old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay, 1950 to 2023.
Year % Change
1950 12.8%
1951 12.8% -0.3%
1952 12.8% -0.3%
1953 12.7% -0.3%
1954 12.7% -0.3%
1955 12.7% -0.2%
1956 12.7% -0.1%
1957 12.7% -0.0%
1958 12.7% +0.1%
1959 12.7% +0.2%
1960 12.7% +0.3%
1961 12.8% +0.5%
1962 12.9% +0.6%
1963 13.0% +0.7%
1964 13.1% +0.9%
1965 13.2% +1.1%
1966 13.4% +1.2%
1967 13.6% +1.4%
1968 13.8% +1.5%
1969 14.0% +1.5%
1970 14.2% +1.5%
1971 14.4% +1.5%
1972 14.6% +1.4%
1973 14.8% +1.4%
1974 15.1% +1.6%
1975 15.3% +1.8%
1976 15.6% +1.9%
1977 15.9% +2.1%
1978 16.3% +2.1%
1979 16.6% +1.8%
1980 16.8% +1.5%
1981 17.0% +1.3%
1982 17.2% +1.0%
1983 17.3% +0.7%
1984 17.4% +0.5%
1985 17.5% +0.7%
1986 17.7% +0.9%
1987 17.9% +1.1%
1988 18.1% +1.1%
1989 18.3% +1.2%
1990 18.5% +1.2%
1991 18.8% +1.3%
1992 19.0% +1.3%
1993 19.3% +1.3%
1994 19.5% +1.3%
1995 19.8% +1.3%
1996 20.0% +1.4%
1997 20.3% +1.2%
1998 20.5% +1.0%
1999 20.7% +0.9%
2000 20.9% +0.9%
2001 21.1% +1.0%
2002 21.3% +1.0%
2003 21.4% +0.8%
2004 21.6% +0.6%
2005 21.7% +0.7%
2006 21.9% +0.7%
2007 22.0% +0.6%
2008 22.1% +0.5%
2009 22.2% +0.4%
2010 22.3% +0.4%
2011 22.4% +0.3%
2012 22.4% +0.3%
2013 22.5% +0.4%
2014 22.6% +0.3%
2015 22.7% +0.4%
2016 22.8% +0.5%
2017 22.9% +0.6%
2018 23.1% +0.8%
2019 23.3% +0.9%
2020 23.5% +1.0%
2021 23.7% +0.7%
2022 23.8% +0.4%
2023 24.0% +1.0%

Uruguay compared with similar countries

  • Uruguay's 24.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 25.9%, 93% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • Uruguay's 24.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 14.7%, 1.6× the median. (42 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 12.7% 12.7% 12.8% 10
1960s 13.2% 12.7% 14.0% 10
1970s 15.3% 14.2% 16.6% 10
1980s 17.5% 16.8% 18.3% 10
1990s 19.6% 18.5% 20.7% 10
2000s 21.6% 20.9% 22.2% 10
2010s 22.7% 22.3% 23.3% 10
2020s 23.8% 23.5% 24.0% 4

Countries ranked near Uruguay

  1. 65 Moldova 24.2% compare
  2. 66 Barbados 24.2% compare
  3. 67 Georgia 24.1% compare
  4. 69 Curacao 23.8% compare
  5. 70 Ireland 23.7% compare
  6. 71 Cuba 23.7% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Uruguay

All data for Uruguay →

Frequently asked questions

What is old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay?
Old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay was 24.0% 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 Uruguay?
The highest recorded value was 24.0% in 2023.
What is the lowest old-age dependency ratio recorded in Uruguay?
The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 1957.
How does Uruguay rank for old-age dependency ratio?
Uruguay ranks 68th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is old-age dependency ratio rising or falling in Uruguay?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Uruguay 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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Old-age dependency ratio in Uruguay. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/age-dependency-ratio-old/uruguay/

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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

Number of people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).