Total dependency ratio in Iceland
Iceland: Total dependency ratio was 50.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Total dependency ratio in Iceland, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 50.1% for total dependency ratio in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Iceland peaked at 76.0% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 48.1%, in 2008.
Iceland ranks 165th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 68.4% | 61.7% | 74.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 74.8% | 71.9% | 76.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 65.4% | 60.4% | 70.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 57.3% | 55.2% | 59.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.0% | 53.8% | 55.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.0% | 48.1% | 53.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.4% | 49.4% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.2% | 49.9% | 50.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More reference data data for Iceland
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.5453 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1076 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.09 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.653 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 3.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 179.82 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Iceland?
- Total dependency ratio in Iceland was 50.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 76.0% in 1962.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.1% in 2008.
- How does Iceland rank for total dependency ratio?
- Iceland ranks 165th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).