Total dependency ratio in Western Sahara
Western Sahara: Total dependency ratio was 42.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
42.3%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
210th
of 236 countries
All-time high
91.1%
in 1976
All-time low
41.5%
in 2014
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Total dependency ratio in Western Sahara, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, total dependency ratio in Western Sahara stood at 42.3%.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Western Sahara peaked at 91.1% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 41.5%, in 2014.
Western Sahara ranks 210th 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 Western Sahara, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 79.8% | — |
| 1951 | 73.4% | -8.1% |
| 1952 | 68.8% | -6.2% |
| 1953 | 65.6% | -4.7% |
| 1954 | 63.4% | -3.4% |
| 1955 | 61.9% | -2.4% |
| 1956 | 61.0% | -1.4% |
| 1957 | 60.7% | -0.6% |
| 1958 | 60.8% | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 61.4% | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 62.3% | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 63.5% | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 64.7% | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 66.1% | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 67.5% | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 69.0% | +2.3% |
| 1966 | 70.5% | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 70.1% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 68.4% | -2.5% |
| 1969 | 67.1% | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 73.4% | +9.3% |
| 1971 | 81.2% | +10.7% |
| 1972 | 85.2% | +4.9% |
| 1973 | 89.0% | +4.5% |
| 1974 | 90.5% | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 90.5% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 91.1% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 82.3% | -9.7% |
| 1978 | 70.5% | -14.4% |
| 1979 | 63.9% | -9.2% |
| 1980 | 61.6% | -3.7% |
| 1981 | 62.0% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 63.8% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 66.4% | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 69.3% | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 72.2% | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 74.9% | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 77.4% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 79.6% | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 81.7% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 83.2% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 84.1% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 84.7% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 84.3% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 82.7% | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 78.6% | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 72.8% | -7.4% |
| 1997 | 67.4% | -7.5% |
| 1998 | 62.7% | -6.9% |
| 1999 | 58.8% | -6.3% |
| 2000 | 55.4% | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 52.5% | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 50.1% | -4.6% |
| 2003 | 48.1% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 46.5% | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 45.2% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 44.1% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 43.4% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 42.8% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 42.5% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 42.2% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 42.0% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 41.8% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 41.6% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 41.5% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 41.6% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 41.6% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 41.8% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 41.9% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 42.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 42.2% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 42.4% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 42.4% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 42.3% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 65.7% | 60.7% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 66.9% | 62.3% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 81.8% | 63.9% | 91.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 70.9% | 61.6% | 81.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.9% | 58.8% | 84.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.1% | 42.5% | 55.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.8% | 41.5% | 42.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.3% | 42.2% | 42.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Western Sahara
More reference data data for Western Sahara
- Free country 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 7 (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change 1.35 Degrees celsius (2023)
- Land area in hectares 26.60 million hectares (2023)
- Area of permanent meadows and pastures 5.00 million hectares (2023)
- Average age of mothers at childbirth 29.99 years (2023)
- Area of permanent meadows and pastures, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Western Sahara?
- Total dependency ratio in Western Sahara was 42.3% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Western Sahara?
- The highest recorded value was 91.1% in 1976.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Western Sahara?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.5% in 2014.
- How does Western Sahara rank for total dependency ratio?
- Western Sahara ranks 210th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Western Sahara?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Sahara 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).