Total dependency ratio in Greenland
Greenland: Total dependency ratio was 44.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
44.8%
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
194th
of 236 countries
All-time high
92.5%
in 1966
All-time low
39.2%
in 1986
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Total dependency ratio in Greenland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Greenland recorded 44.8% for total dependency ratio in 2023.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Greenland peaked at 92.5% in 1966 and was at its lowest, 39.2%, in 1986.
That places Greenland 194th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Total dependency ratio in Greenland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 78.0% | — |
| 1951 | 77.7% | -0.5% |
| 1952 | 77.6% | -0.1% |
| 1953 | 78.2% | +0.8% |
| 1954 | 79.1% | +1.2% |
| 1955 | 80.1% | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 80.9% | +1.0% |
| 1957 | 81.5% | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 82.2% | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 83.4% | +1.4% |
| 1960 | 84.9% | +1.8% |
| 1961 | 86.3% | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 87.5% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 88.9% | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 90.5% | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 92.3% | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 92.5% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 90.7% | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 88.8% | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 87.0% | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 85.2% | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 82.8% | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 79.6% | -4.0% |
| 1973 | 75.9% | -4.5% |
| 1974 | 72.0% | -5.2% |
| 1975 | 67.7% | -6.0% |
| 1976 | 63.1% | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 58.7% | -6.9% |
| 1978 | 55.1% | -6.2% |
| 1979 | 51.9% | -5.8% |
| 1980 | 48.9% | -5.8% |
| 1981 | 46.0% | -6.0% |
| 1982 | 43.4% | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 41.4% | -4.6% |
| 1984 | 40.0% | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 39.3% | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 39.2% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 39.5% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 40.2% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 41.0% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 42.1% | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 43.4% | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 44.5% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 45.5% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 46.5% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 47.2% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 47.5% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 47.6% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 47.6% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 47.5% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 47.0% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 46.5% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 45.8% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 45.1% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 44.5% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 43.8% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 43.2% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 42.7% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 42.3% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 41.9% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 41.5% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 41.1% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 40.8% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 40.6% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 40.5% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 40.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 40.6% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 40.8% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 41.1% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 41.7% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 42.3% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 42.9% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 43.7% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 44.8% | +2.6% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 44.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 52.7%, 85% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 44.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 55.3%, 81% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 79.9% | 77.6% | 83.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 88.9% | 84.9% | 92.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 69.2% | 51.9% | 85.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.9% | 39.2% | 48.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.0% | 42.1% | 47.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.3% | 41.9% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.9% | 40.5% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.4% | 42.3% | 44.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
- 191 Chile 45.1% compare
- 192 Costa Rica 45.0% compare
- 193 North Korea 44.9% compare
- 195 Luxembourg 44.7% compare
- 196 China 44.7% compare
- 197 Dominica 44.6% compare
More reference data data for Greenland
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2128 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0004 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0986 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1141 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0041 (2019)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 6.82 (2017)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 7.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture, per unit of GDP 0 metric tons per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture, per capita 0.0005 metric tons per person (2024)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture 30 metric tons (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Greenland?
- Total dependency ratio in Greenland was 44.8% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 92.5% in 1966.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.2% in 1986.
- How does Greenland rank for total dependency ratio?
- Greenland ranks 194th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total dependency ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).