Total dependency ratio in New Zealand
New Zealand: Total dependency ratio was 54.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Total dependency ratio in New Zealand, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 54.2% for total dependency ratio in 2023.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in New Zealand peaked at 71.1% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 50.4%, in 2006.
New Zealand ranks 125th 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 | 66.5% | 61.6% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 69.9% | 68.4% | 71.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.0% | 59.5% | 67.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 54.6% | 52.0% | 58.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.6% | 52.2% | 52.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.2% | 50.4% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.2% | 51.1% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.7% | 53.0% | 54.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0464 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2008 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Consumer price index 144.86 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5251 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.5536 °C (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in New Zealand?
- Total dependency ratio in New Zealand was 54.2% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 71.1% in 1961.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.4% in 2006.
- How does New Zealand rank for total dependency ratio?
- New Zealand ranks 125th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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).