Total dependency ratio in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Total dependency ratio was 36.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
36.8%
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
228th
of 236 countries
All-time high
93.8%
in 1969
All-time low
36.8%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Total dependency ratio in Saudi Arabia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 36.8% for total dependency ratio in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Saudi Arabia peaked at 93.8% in 1969 and was at its lowest, 36.8%, in 2023.
Saudi Arabia ranks 228th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Total dependency ratio in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 83.1% | — |
| 1951 | 82.9% | -0.2% |
| 1952 | 82.9% | -0.0% |
| 1953 | 83.0% | +0.2% |
| 1954 | 83.3% | +0.4% |
| 1955 | 83.8% | +0.6% |
| 1956 | 84.4% | +0.7% |
| 1957 | 85.0% | +0.8% |
| 1958 | 85.8% | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 86.6% | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 87.4% | +0.9% |
| 1961 | 88.2% | +1.0% |
| 1962 | 89.1% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 90.2% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 91.3% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 92.1% | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 92.8% | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 93.3% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 93.7% | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 93.8% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 93.7% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 93.3% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 92.5% | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 91.6% | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 90.7% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 89.8% | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 89.0% | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 88.1% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 87.3% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 86.7% | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 86.1% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 85.5% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 84.8% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 84.2% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 83.9% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 83.7% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 83.4% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 83.0% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 82.6% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 82.3% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 81.7% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 80.9% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 80.0% | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 78.9% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 77.7% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 76.3% | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 74.8% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 73.2% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 71.4% | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 69.7% | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 68.1% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 66.4% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 64.1% | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 61.2% | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 58.1% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 54.9% | -5.4% |
| 2006 | 51.9% | -5.5% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 46.8% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 44.7% | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 42.9% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 41.4% | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 40.2% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 39.1% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 38.3% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 37.5% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 37.2% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 37.8% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 39.0% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 39.3% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 38.9% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 38.6% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 37.6% | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 36.8% | -2.2% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 36.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 52.7%, 70% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 36.8% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 52.2%, 71% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 84.1% | 82.9% | 86.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 91.2% | 87.4% | 93.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 90.3% | 86.7% | 93.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 83.9% | 82.3% | 86.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.4% | 69.7% | 81.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.5% | 44.7% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.3% | 37.2% | 42.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.0% | 36.8% | 38.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 225 Saint Lucia 37.3% compare
- 226 Turks and Caicos Islands 37.2% compare
- 227 Jamaica 37.0% compare
- 229 Singapore 33.1% compare
- 230 Cayman Islands 33.1% compare
- 231 Maldives 32.3% compare
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Saudi Arabia?
- Total dependency ratio in Saudi Arabia was 36.8% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 93.8% in 1969.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.8% in 2023.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for total dependency ratio?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 228th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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
Number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).