Youth Dependency Ratio by Country — 2024 World Rankings
Ratio of younger dependents (ages 0–14) to working-age population (15–64). Data from World Bank.
Updated April 2026 · Source: World BankIn 2024, Central African Republic leads the world in youth dependency ratio (%) with 100.3%, followed by Niger (91.7%), Somalia, Fed. Rep. (91.7%), Congo, Dem. Rep. (90.5%), Mali (89.6%). At the other end, Korea, Rep. ranks last at 15.1%. The global median is 33.4% (Sri Lanka). This ranking covers 217 countries and is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators, one of the most authoritative sources for international economic statistics.
The top 10 countries are: 1. Central African Republic, 2. Niger, 3. Somalia, Fed. Rep., 4. Congo, Dem. Rep., 5. Mali, 6. Chad, 7. Burundi, 8. Mozambique, 9. Angola, 10. Uganda. All data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators and updated regularly. Free API access is available for developers and researchers.
| # | Country | Youth Dependency Ratio (%) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Central African Republic | 100.3% | 2024 |
| 2 |  Niger | 91.7% | 2024 |
| 3 |  Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 91.7% | 2024 |
| 4 |  Congo, Dem. Rep. | 90.5% | 2024 |
| 5 |  Mali | 89.6% | 2024 |
| 6 |  Chad | 88.9% | 2024 |
| 7 |  Burundi | 84.7% | 2024 |
| 8 |  Mozambique | 84.3% | 2024 |
| 9 |  Angola | 84.0% | 2024 |
| 10 |  Uganda | 80.2% | 2024 |
| 11 |  Mauritania | 79.0% | 2024 |
| 12 |  Afghanistan | 78.4% | 2024 |
| 13 |  Tanzania | 78.2% | 2024 |
| 14 |  Burkina Faso | 75.3% | 2024 |
| 15 |  Benin | 75.1% | 2024 |
| 16 |  Cameroon | 74.3% | 2024 |
| 17 |  Zimbabwe | 73.6% | 2024 |
| 18 |  Guinea | 73.5% | 2024 |
| 19 |  Nigeria | 73.3% | 2024 |
| 20 |  Zambia | 73.3% | 2024 |
| 21 |  Yemen, Rep. | 73.0% | 2024 |
| 22 |  Cote d'Ivoire | 72.3% | 2024 |
| 23 |  Sudan | 72.0% | 2024 |
| 24 |  Malawi | 71.8% | 2024 |
| 25 |  Congo, Rep. | 71.5% | 2024 |
| 26 |  Gambia, The | 71.0% | 2024 |
| 27 |  Liberia | 69.1% | 2024 |
| 28 |  Samoa | 69.1% | 2024 |
| 29 |  Togo | 69.0% | 2024 |
| 30 |  Madagascar | 68.5% | 2024 |
| 31 |  Ethiopia | 67.7% | 2024 |
| 32 |  South Sudan | 67.0% | 2024 |
| 33 |  Guinea-Bissau | 66.8% | 2024 |
| 34 |  Vanuatu | 66.8% | 2024 |
| 35 |  Eritrea | 66.1% | 2024 |
| 36 |  Senegal | 65.6% | 2024 |
| 37 |  West Bank and Gaza | 65.5% | 2024 |
| 38 |  Sierra Leone | 64.9% | 2024 |
| 39 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 64.9% | 2024 |
| 40 |  Rwanda | 63.6% | 2024 |
| 41 |  Nauru | 63.6% | 2024 |
| 42 |  Comoros | 63.6% | 2024 |
| 43 |  Equatorial Guinea | 63.2% | 2024 |
| 44 |  Namibia | 62.3% | 2024 |
| 45 |  Solomon Islands | 62.2% | 2024 |
| 46 |  Pakistan | 62.1% | 2024 |
| 47 |  Gabon | 61.4% | 2024 |
| 48 |  Kenya | 61.2% | 2024 |
| 49 |  Tonga | 61.2% | 2024 |
| 50 |  Iraq | 61.0% | 2024 |
| 51 |  Tajikistan | 60.5% | 2024 |
| 52 |  Ghana | 59.2% | 2024 |
| 53 |  Kiribati | 56.8% | 2024 |
| 54 |  Marshall Islands | 56.6% | 2024 |
| 55 |  Lesotho | 56.0% | 2024 |
| 56 |  Timor-Leste | 55.1% | 2024 |
| 57 |  Tuvalu | 54.6% | 2024 |
| 58 |  Eswatini | 53.5% | 2024 |
| 59 |  Papua New Guinea | 53.1% | 2024 |
| 60 |  Kyrgyz Republic | 52.2% | 2024 |
| 61 |  Mongolia | 51.4% | 2024 |
| 62 |  Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 51.2% | 2024 |
| 63 |  Egypt, Arab Rep. | 50.9% | 2024 |
| 64 |  Botswana | 50.3% | 2024 |
| 65 |  Guatemala | 49.7% | 2024 |
| 66 |  Uzbekistan | 49.3% | 2024 |
| 67 |  Turkmenistan | 49.3% | 2024 |
| 68 |  Haiti | 48.7% | 2024 |
| 69 |  Algeria | 48.1% | 2024 |
| 70 |  Kazakhstan | 47.4% | 2024 |
| 71 |  Jordan | 47.3% | 2024 |
| 72 |  Honduras | 47.1% | 2024 |
| 73 |  Cambodia | 46.5% | 2024 |
| 74 |  Lao PDR | 46.4% | 2024 |
| 75 |  Bolivia | 46.1% | 2024 |
| 76 |  Israel | 45.7% | 2024 |
| 77 |  Guyana | 45.5% | 2024 |
| 78 |  Djibouti | 44.2% | 2024 |
| 79 |  Syrian Arab Republic | 44.1% | 2024 |
| 80 |  Paraguay | 44.1% | 2024 |
| 81 |  Nicaragua | 43.8% | 2024 |
| 82 |  Nepal | 43.7% | 2024 |
| 83 |  Bangladesh | 42.7% | 2024 |
| 84 |  Guam | 42.3% | 2024 |
| 85 |  Philippines | 41.8% | 2024 |
| 86 |  American Samoa | 41.6% | 2024 |
| 87 |  Lebanon | 41.1% | 2024 |
| 88 |  Fiji | 40.8% | 2024 |
| 89 |  Libya | 40.6% | 2024 |
| 90 |  Dominican Republic | 40.6% | 2024 |
| 91 |  Venezuela, RB | 39.4% | 2024 |
| 92 |  Belize | 38.9% | 2024 |
| 93 |  Morocco | 38.7% | 2024 |
| 94 |  Suriname | 38.6% | 2024 |
| 95 |  South Africa | 38.4% | 2024 |
| 96 |  Panama | 37.9% | 2024 |
| 97 |  Cabo Verde | 37.8% | 2024 |
| 98 |  El Salvador | 37.0% | 2024 |
| 99 |  Mexico | 36.4% | 2024 |
| 100 |  Ecuador | 36.4% | 2024 |
| 101 |  Tunisia | 36.2% | 2024 |
| 102 |  Indonesia | 36.1% | 2024 |
| 103 |  India | 36.1% | 2024 |
| 104 |  Peru | 35.9% | 2024 |
| 105 |  Myanmar | 35.5% | 2024 |
| 106 |  St. Martin (French part) | 35.4% | 2024 |
| 107 |  Viet Nam | 34.3% | 2024 |
| 108 |  Oman | 34.0% | 2024 |
| 109 |  Sri Lanka | 33.4% | 2024 |
| 110 |  Argentina | 32.7% | 2024 |
| 111 |  Georgia | 32.7% | 2024 |
| 112 |  Saudi Arabia | 32.5% | 2024 |
| 113 |  Iran, Islamic Rep. | 32.4% | 2024 |
| 114 |  Northern Mariana Islands | 32.2% | 2024 |
| 115 |  Faroe Islands | 32.1% | 2024 |
| 116 |  St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 31.9% | 2024 |
| 117 |  New Caledonia | 31.7% | 2024 |
| 118 |  Turkiye | 31.4% | 2024 |
| 119 |  Azerbaijan | 31.3% | 2024 |
| 120 |  Moldova | 30.9% | 2024 |
| 121 |  Malaysia | 30.9% | 2024 |
| 122 |  Greenland | 30.4% | 2024 |
| 123 |  Kosovo | 29.9% | 2024 |
| 124 |  Colombia | 29.0% | 2024 |
| 125 |  Bhutan | 28.8% | 2024 |
| 126 |  Brunei Darussalam | 28.8% | 2024 |
| 127 |  Armenia | 28.7% | 2024 |
| 128 |  Grenada | 28.5% | 2024 |
| 129 |  Brazil | 28.4% | 2024 |
| 130 |  Ireland | 28.3% | 2024 |
| 131 |  Montenegro | 28.3% | 2024 |
| 132 |  New Zealand | 28.0% | 2024 |
| 133 |  Seychelles | 27.9% | 2024 |
| 134 |  Uruguay | 27.9% | 2024 |
| 135 |  Australia | 27.7% | 2024 |
| 136 |  Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 27.6% | 2024 |
| 137 |  French Polynesia | 27.5% | 2024 |
| 138 |  Sweden | 27.3% | 2024 |
| 139 |  Gibraltar | 27.3% | 2024 |
| 140 |  Costa Rica | 27.3% | 2024 |
| 141 |  United Kingdom | 27.1% | 2024 |
| 142 |  Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 27.1% | 2024 |
| 143 |  France | 26.9% | 2024 |
| 144 |  United States | 26.8% | 2024 |
| 145 |  Monaco | 26.8% | 2024 |
| 146 |  Iceland | 26.7% | 2024 |
| 147 |  Russian Federation | 26.4% | 2024 |
| 148 |  Barbados | 26.0% | 2024 |
| 149 |  Palau | 25.9% | 2024 |
| 150 |  Maldives | 25.9% | 2024 |
| 151 |  Dominica | 25.8% | 2024 |
| 152 |  North Macedonia | 25.8% | 2024 |
| 153 |  St. Kitts and Nevis | 25.8% | 2024 |
| 154 |  Jamaica | 25.6% | 2024 |
| 155 |  Aruba | 25.5% | 2024 |
| 156 |  Bahamas, The | 25.5% | 2024 |
| 157 |  Albania | 25.4% | 2024 |
| 158 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 25.4% | 2024 |
| 159 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 25.3% | 2024 |
| 160 |  Belgium | 25.2% | 2024 |
| 161 |  Norway | 24.9% | 2024 |
| 162 |  Estonia | 24.8% | 2024 |
| 163 |  Denmark | 24.7% | 2024 |
| 164 |  Belarus | 24.7% | 2024 |
| 165 |  Chile | 24.6% | 2024 |
| 166 |  Latvia | 24.5% | 2024 |
| 167 |  Romania | 24.4% | 2024 |
| 168 |  Bahrain | 24.2% | 2024 |
| 169 |  Czechia | 24.1% | 2024 |
| 170 |  St. Lucia | 24.1% | 2024 |
| 171 |  Slovak Republic | 24.0% | 2024 |
| 172 |  Finland | 23.8% | 2024 |
| 173 |  Netherlands | 23.3% | 2024 |
| 174 |  Canada | 23.2% | 2024 |
| 175 |  Cyprus | 23.2% | 2024 |
| 176 |  Slovenia | 23.2% | 2024 |
| 177 |  Kuwait | 23.2% | 2024 |
| 178 |  China | 23.1% | 2024 |
| 179 |  Switzerland | 23.0% | 2024 |
| 180 |  Luxembourg | 22.9% | 2024 |
| 181 |  Bulgaria | 22.8% | 2024 |
| 182 |  Poland | 22.8% | 2024 |
| 183 |  Serbia | 22.7% | 2024 |
| 184 |  Isle of Man | 22.7% | 2024 |
| 185 |  Lithuania | 22.6% | 2024 |
| 186 |  Cuba | 22.4% | 2024 |
| 187 |  Hungary | 22.3% | 2024 |
| 188 |  Croatia | 22.1% | 2024 |
| 189 |  Germany | 22.1% | 2024 |
| 190 |  Turks and Caicos Islands | 22.1% | 2024 |
| 191 |  Liechtenstein | 21.9% | 2024 |
| 192 |  Curacao | 21.9% | 2024 |
| 193 |  Austria | 21.8% | 2024 |
| 194 |  Cayman Islands | 21.6% | 2024 |
| 195 |  Channel Islands | 21.6% | 2024 |
| 196 |  Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 21.3% | 2024 |
| 197 |  Thailand | 21.1% | 2024 |
| 198 |  Bermuda | 21.0% | 2024 |
| 199 |  Greece | 21.0% | 2024 |
| 200 |  Ukraine | 20.7% | 2024 |
| 201 |  Mauritius | 20.7% | 2024 |
| 202 |  Portugal | 20.4% | 2024 |
| 203 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 20.1% | 2024 |
| 204 |  United Arab Emirates | 19.6% | 2024 |
| 205 |  Spain | 19.6% | 2024 |
| 206 |  Malta | 19.5% | 2024 |
| 207 |  Japan | 19.5% | 2024 |
| 208 |  Macao SAR, China | 19.4% | 2024 |
| 209 |  British Virgin Islands | 19.1% | 2024 |
| 210 |  San Marino | 18.8% | 2024 |
| 211 |  Italy | 18.7% | 2024 |
| 212 |  Puerto Rico (US) | 18.3% | 2024 |
| 213 |  Qatar | 18.1% | 2024 |
| 214 |  Andorra | 16.5% | 2024 |
| 215 |  Hong Kong SAR, China | 15.7% | 2024 |
| 216 |  Singapore | 15.7% | 2024 |
| 217 |  Korea, Rep. | 15.1% | 2024 |
Understanding Youth Dependency Ratio by Country
The youth dependency ratio measures the number of people aged 0–14 relative to the working-age population (15–64). A ratio of 50% means there are 50 dependents for every 100 working-age adults. High ratios indicate large youth populations that require education and healthcare investment; low ratios indicate aging societies.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest ratios globally, often exceeding 80%, reflecting high fertility rates. Japan and South Korea have the lowest at roughly 20%, reflecting decades of low fertility. The "demographic dividend" occurs when the ratio falls rapidly — fewer dependents per worker means more resources for investment and consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest youth dependency ratio (%) in 2024?
Central African Republic has the highest youth dependency ratio (%) at 100.3% as of 2024, according to World Bank data.
Which country has the lowest youth dependency ratio (%) in 2024?
Korea, Rep. has the lowest youth dependency ratio (%) at 15.1% as of 2024.
How many countries are ranked by youth dependency ratio (%)?
217 countries have reported data for youth dependency ratio (%). The data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
What is the median youth dependency ratio (%) across all countries?
The median youth dependency ratio (%) is 33.4% (Sri Lanka, ranked #109 out of 217 countries).