Total dependency ratio in North Korea

North Korea: Total dependency ratio was 44.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
44.9%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
193rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
89.3%
in 1950
All-time low
42.9%
in 2019
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Total dependency ratio in North Korea, 1950–2023

020406080195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, total dependency ratio in North Korea stood at 44.9%.

That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in North Korea peaked at 89.3% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 42.9%, in 2019.

That places North Korea 193rd 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 78.9% 69.9% 89.3% 10
1960s 69.5% 66.4% 76.2% 10
1970s 73.1% 65.5% 77.7% 10
1980s 53.1% 45.4% 63.2% 10
1990s 45.9% 44.9% 46.8% 10
2000s 47.0% 46.2% 47.4% 10
2010s 44.4% 42.9% 45.9% 10
2020s 44.0% 43.2% 44.9% 4

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 190 Northern Mariana Islands 45.6% compare
  2. 191 Chile 45.1% compare
  3. 192 Costa Rica 45.0% compare
  4. 194 Greenland 44.8% compare
  5. 195 Luxembourg 44.7% compare
  6. 196 China 44.7% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is total dependency ratio in North Korea?
Total dependency ratio in North Korea was 44.9% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 89.3% in 1950.
What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 42.9% in 2019.
How does North Korea rank for total dependency ratio?
North Korea ranks 193rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this North Korea 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

Indicator
Total 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

The number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).