Total dependency ratio in Pakistan
Pakistan: Total dependency ratio was 70.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
70.2%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
46th
of 236 countries
All-time high
92.1%
in 1994
All-time low
70.2%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Total dependency ratio in Pakistan, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 70.2% for total dependency ratio in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Pakistan peaked at 92.1% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 70.2%, in 2023.
That places Pakistan 46th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Total dependency ratio in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 80.6% | — |
| 1951 | 79.7% | -1.1% |
| 1952 | 79.0% | -0.8% |
| 1953 | 78.6% | -0.6% |
| 1954 | 78.2% | -0.4% |
| 1955 | 78.0% | -0.3% |
| 1956 | 77.8% | -0.2% |
| 1957 | 77.7% | -0.2% |
| 1958 | 77.6% | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 77.6% | -0.0% |
| 1960 | 77.7% | +0.2% |
| 1961 | 78.1% | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 78.7% | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 79.6% | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 81.0% | +1.7% |
| 1965 | 82.5% | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 83.9% | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 85.1% | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 86.2% | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 87.1% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 87.8% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 88.3% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 88.7% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 89.0% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 89.2% | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 89.2% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 89.1% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 88.9% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 88.7% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 88.3% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 87.2% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 86.4% | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 86.2% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 86.6% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 87.4% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 88.1% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 88.6% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 89.1% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 89.5% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 90.0% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 90.4% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 90.6% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 91.3% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 91.9% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 92.1% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 92.0% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 91.5% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 90.8% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 89.9% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 88.9% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 87.8% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 86.6% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 85.5% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 84.4% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 83.0% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 81.5% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 80.1% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 78.6% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 77.3% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 76.3% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 75.5% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 75.0% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 74.7% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 74.6% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 74.4% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 74.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 73.9% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 73.6% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 73.1% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 72.6% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 72.1% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 71.3% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 70.7% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 70.2% | -0.8% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 70.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 70.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 52.2%, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 78.5% | 77.6% | 80.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 82.0% | 77.7% | 87.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 88.7% | 87.8% | 89.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 87.9% | 86.2% | 90.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 90.9% | 88.9% | 92.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.1% | 76.3% | 87.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.2% | 72.6% | 75.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.1% | 70.2% | 72.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 43 Comoros 72.0% compare
- 44 Sierra Leone 71.6% compare
- 45 Rwanda 71.1% compare
- 47 Japan 69.9% compare
- 48 Equatorial Guinea 69.8% compare
- 49 Solomon Islands 69.5% compare
More reference data data for Pakistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.3 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 91.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 260 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.79 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Pakistan?
- Total dependency ratio in Pakistan was 70.2% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 92.1% in 1994.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.2% in 2023.
- How does Pakistan rank for total dependency ratio?
- Pakistan ranks 46th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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).