Youth Dependency Ratio by Country: 2025 World Rankings
Ratio of younger dependents (ages 0–14) to working-age population (15–64). Data from World Bank.
Data years: 2025 · Source: World BankThe Central African Republic has the highest youth dependency ratio: 99.1% in 2025. Next are Somalia (91.6%), Niger (90.4%), DR Congo (90.2%) and Chad (88.5%). South Korea has the lowest youth dependency ratio: 14.7% in 2025. The median across the 217 countries is 33.0%, counting each country once, so it is not a world average.
All 217 figures are for 2025. The ten highest are: 1. Central African Republic, 2. Somalia, 3. Niger, 4. DR Congo, 5. Chad, 6. Mali, 7. Angola, 8. Mozambique, 9. Burundi, 10. Uganda. Data: World Bank World Development Indicators. All data on this page is free to use with attribution, and an API endpoint is available at /api/v2/indicator/SP.POP.DPND.YG for programmatic access.
| # | Country | Youth Dependency Ratio (%) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Central African Republic | 99.1% | 2025 |
| 2 |  Somalia | 91.6% | 2025 |
| 3 |  Niger | 90.4% | 2025 |
| 4 |  DR Congo | 90.2% | 2025 |
| 5 |  Chad | 88.5% | 2025 |
| 6 |  Mali | 88.3% | 2025 |
| 7 |  Angola | 83.2% | 2025 |
| 8 |  Mozambique | 83.2% | 2025 |
| 9 |  Burundi | 82.3% | 2025 |
| 10 |  Uganda | 78.9% | 2025 |
| 11 |  Mauritania | 78.0% | 2025 |
| 12 |  Tanzania | 77.5% | 2025 |
| 13 |  Afghanistan | 77.4% | 2025 |
| 14 |  Benin | 74.2% | 2025 |
| 15 |  Cameroon | 73.3% | 2025 |
| 16 |  Burkina Faso | 73.3% | 2025 |
| 17 |  Yemen | 72.7% | 2025 |
| 18 |  Guinea | 72.4% | 2025 |
| 19 |  Togo | 72.1% | 2025 |
| 20 |  Zambia | 71.8% | 2025 |
| 21 |  Nigeria | 71.8% | 2025 |
| 22 |  Zimbabwe | 71.7% | 2025 |
| 23 |  Sudan | 71.3% | 2025 |
| 24 |  Côte d'Ivoire | 71.1% | 2025 |
| 25 |  Republic of the Congo | 70.1% | 2025 |
| 26 |  Malawi | 70.0% | 2025 |
| 27 |  The Gambia | 69.6% | 2025 |
| 28 |  Samoa | 68.1% | 2025 |
| 29 |  Liberia | 67.9% | 2025 |
| 30 |  Madagascar | 67.6% | 2025 |
| 31 |  Ethiopia | 66.9% | 2025 |
| 32 |  Vanuatu | 65.8% | 2025 |
| 33 |  Guinea-Bissau | 65.6% | 2025 |
| 34 |  Eritrea | 64.6% | 2025 |
| 35 |  South Sudan | 64.5% | 2025 |
| 36 |  Senegal | 64.4% | 2025 |
| 37 |  West Bank and Gaza | 64.2% | 2025 |
| 38 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 63.9% | 2025 |
| 39 |  Sierra Leone | 63.7% | 2025 |
| 40 |  Comoros | 62.8% | 2025 |
| 41 |  Rwanda | 62.8% | 2025 |
| 42 |  Equatorial Guinea | 62.7% | 2025 |
| 43 |  Nauru | 62.1% | 2025 |
| 44 |  Namibia | 61.5% | 2025 |
| 45 |  Solomon Islands | 61.2% | 2025 |
| 46 |  Pakistan | 61.0% | 2025 |
| 47 |  Gabon | 60.8% | 2025 |
| 48 |  Tonga | 60.0% | 2025 |
| 49 |  Tajikistan | 59.7% | 2025 |
| 50 |  Kenya | 59.7% | 2025 |
| 51 |  Iraq | 59.5% | 2025 |
| 52 |  Ghana | 58.3% | 2025 |
| 53 |  Kiribati | 56.1% | 2025 |
| 54 |  Marshall Islands | 55.4% | 2025 |
| 55 |  Tuvalu | 55.1% | 2025 |
| 56 |  Lesotho | 55.0% | 2025 |
| 57 |  Timor-Leste | 53.7% | 2025 |
| 58 |  Eswatini | 52.7% | 2025 |
| 59 |  Papua New Guinea | 52.4% | 2025 |
| 60 |  Kyrgyzstan | 51.4% | 2025 |
| 61 |  Micronesia | 50.5% | 2025 |
| 62 |  Mongolia | 50.1% | 2025 |
| 63 |  Botswana | 50.0% | 2025 |
| 64 |  Uzbekistan | 50.0% | 2025 |
| 65 |  Egypt | 50.0% | 2025 |
| 66 |  Turkmenistan | 48.8% | 2025 |
| 67 |  Guatemala | 48.5% | 2025 |
| 68 |  Haiti | 47.8% | 2025 |
| 69 |  Algeria | 47.3% | 2025 |
| 70 |  Kazakhstan | 47.1% | 2025 |
| 71 |  Jordan | 46.4% | 2025 |
| 72 |  Honduras | 46.4% | 2025 |
| 73 |  Cambodia | 46.0% | 2025 |
| 74 |  Laos | 45.7% | 2025 |
| 75 |  Bolivia | 45.4% | 2025 |
| 76 |  Israel | 45.2% | 2025 |
| 77 |  Guyana | 45.1% | 2025 |
| 78 |  Paraguay | 43.7% | 2025 |
| 79 |  Djibouti | 43.5% | 2025 |
| 80 |  Nepal | 42.9% | 2025 |
| 81 |  Nicaragua | 42.9% | 2025 |
| 82 |  Syria | 42.6% | 2025 |
| 83 |  Guam | 42.4% | 2025 |
| 84 |  Bangladesh | 42.1% | 2025 |
| 85 |  American Samoa | 40.5% | 2025 |
| 86 |  Philippines | 40.4% | 2025 |
| 87 |  Fiji | 40.3% | 2025 |
| 88 |  Lebanon | 40.0% | 2025 |
| 89 |  Dominican Republic | 39.9% | 2025 |
| 90 |  Libya | 39.5% | 2025 |
| 91 |  Belize | 38.3% | 2025 |
| 92 |  Venezuela | 38.3% | 2025 |
| 93 |  South Africa | 38.2% | 2025 |
| 94 |  Suriname | 38.1% | 2025 |
| 95 |  Morocco | 38.0% | 2025 |
| 96 |  Panama | 37.3% | 2025 |
| 97 |  Cabo Verde | 36.2% | 2025 |
| 98 |  El Salvador | 36.2% | 2025 |
| 99 |  Mexico | 35.8% | 2025 |
| 100 |  Indonesia | 35.5% | 2025 |
| 101 |  Saint Martin | 35.5% | 2025 |
| 102 |  Tunisia | 35.4% | 2025 |
| 103 |  Ecuador | 35.4% | 2025 |
| 104 |  India | 35.4% | 2025 |
| 105 |  Peru | 35.3% | 2025 |
| 106 |  Myanmar | 35.2% | 2025 |
| 107 |  Vietnam | 33.8% | 2025 |
| 108 |  Oman | 33.3% | 2025 |
| 109 |  Sri Lanka | 33.0% | 2025 |
| 110 |  Georgia | 32.3% | 2025 |
| 111 |  Saudi Arabia | 32.2% | 2025 |
| 112 |  Faroe Islands | 31.9% | 2025 |
| 113 |  Iran | 31.7% | 2025 |
| 114 |  Argentina | 31.7% | 2025 |
| 115 |  New Caledonia | 31.4% | 2025 |
| 116 |  Northern Mariana Islands | 31.2% | 2025 |
| 117 |  St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 31.2% | 2025 |
| 118 |  Türkiye | 30.7% | 2025 |
| 119 |  Moldova | 30.7% | 2025 |
| 120 |  Greenland | 30.6% | 2025 |
| 121 |  Azerbaijan | 30.4% | 2025 |
| 122 |  Malaysia | 30.2% | 2025 |
| 123 |  Kosovo | 28.8% | 2025 |
| 124 |  Colombia | 28.6% | 2025 |
| 125 |  Brunei | 28.6% | 2025 |
| 126 |  Armenia | 28.5% | 2025 |
| 127 |  Brazil | 28.0% | 2025 |
| 128 |  Montenegro | 28.0% | 2025 |
| 129 |  Bhutan | 27.9% | 2025 |
| 130 |  Grenada | 27.8% | 2025 |
| 131 |  New Zealand | 27.7% | 2025 |
| 132 |  North Korea | 27.7% | 2025 |
| 133 |  Seychelles | 27.6% | 2025 |
| 134 |  Ireland | 27.5% | 2025 |
| 135 |  Australia | 27.5% | 2025 |
| 136 |  Monaco | 27.4% | 2025 |
| 137 |  U.S. Virgin Islands | 27.2% | 2025 |
| 138 |  Gibraltar | 27.2% | 2025 |
| 139 |  Uruguay | 27.2% | 2025 |
| 140 |  United Kingdom | 26.8% | 2025 |
| 141 |  Sweden | 26.8% | 2025 |
| 142 |  Costa Rica | 26.6% | 2025 |
| 143 |  French Polynesia | 26.5% | 2025 |
| 144 |  United States | 26.5% | 2025 |
| 145 |  France | 26.5% | 2025 |
| 146 |  Iceland | 26.3% | 2025 |
| 147 |  St. Kitts and Nevis | 26.2% | 2025 |
| 148 |  Russia | 26.1% | 2025 |
| 149 |  Barbados | 25.9% | 2025 |
| 150 |  Palau | 25.5% | 2025 |
| 151 |  Dominica | 25.5% | 2025 |
| 152 |  North Macedonia | 25.5% | 2025 |
| 153 |  Albania | 25.2% | 2025 |
| 154 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 25.1% | 2025 |
| 155 |  Aruba | 25.1% | 2025 |
| 156 |  Maldives | 25.0% | 2025 |
| 157 |  Jamaica | 25.0% | 2025 |
| 158 |  Bahamas | 24.9% | 2025 |
| 159 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 24.9% | 2025 |
| 160 |  Belgium | 24.8% | 2025 |
| 161 |  Denmark | 24.6% | 2025 |
| 162 |  Norway | 24.5% | 2025 |
| 163 |  Latvia | 24.3% | 2025 |
| 164 |  Estonia | 24.2% | 2025 |
| 165 |  Romania | 24.2% | 2025 |
| 166 |  Belarus | 24.1% | 2025 |
| 167 |  Chile | 24.0% | 2025 |
| 168 |  Slovakia | 23.8% | 2025 |
| 169 |  Bahrain | 23.7% | 2025 |
| 170 |  St. Lucia | 23.7% | 2025 |
| 171 |  Czechia | 23.7% | 2025 |
| 172 |  Finland | 23.3% | 2025 |
| 173 |  Cyprus | 23.3% | 2025 |
| 174 |  Netherlands | 23.3% | 2025 |
| 175 |  Canada | 23.1% | 2025 |
| 176 |  Switzerland | 23.0% | 2025 |
| 177 |  Luxembourg | 23.0% | 2025 |
| 178 |  Slovenia | 22.9% | 2025 |
| 179 |  Kuwait | 22.8% | 2025 |
| 180 |  Serbia | 22.7% | 2025 |
| 181 |  Bulgaria | 22.7% | 2025 |
| 182 |  Lithuania | 22.4% | 2025 |
| 183 |  Poland | 22.3% | 2025 |
| 184 |  Hungary | 22.3% | 2025 |
| 185 |  Isle of Man | 22.3% | 2025 |
| 186 |  Germany | 22.2% | 2025 |
| 187 |  Cuba | 22.1% | 2025 |
| 188 |  China | 22.1% | 2025 |
| 189 |  Liechtenstein | 22.1% | 2025 |
| 190 |  Turks and Caicos Islands | 22.1% | 2025 |
| 191 |  Croatia | 21.9% | 2025 |
| 192 |  Austria | 21.8% | 2025 |
| 193 |  Cayman Islands | 21.6% | 2025 |
| 194 |  Curaçao | 21.4% | 2025 |
| 195 | Channel Islands | 21.4% | 2025 |
| 196 |  Sint Maarten | 20.9% | 2025 |
| 197 |  Bermuda | 20.9% | 2025 |
| 198 |  Thailand | 20.7% | 2025 |
| 199 |  Greece | 20.5% | 2025 |
| 200 |  Portugal | 20.4% | 2025 |
| 201 |  Mauritius | 20.4% | 2025 |
| 202 |  Ukraine | 20.3% | 2025 |
| 203 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 20.0% | 2025 |
| 204 |  United Arab Emirates | 19.4% | 2025 |
| 205 |  Malta | 19.4% | 2025 |
| 206 |  Macao | 19.3% | 2025 |
| 207 |  Spain | 19.2% | 2025 |
| 208 |  Japan | 19.1% | 2025 |
| 209 |  British Virgin Islands | 18.6% | 2025 |
| 210 |  Italy | 18.4% | 2025 |
| 211 |  San Marino | 18.2% | 2025 |
| 212 |  Qatar | 18.0% | 2025 |
| 213 |  Puerto Rico | 17.7% | 2025 |
| 214 |  Andorra | 16.2% | 2025 |
| 215 |  Singapore | 15.8% | 2025 |
| 216 |  Hong Kong | 15.6% | 2025 |
| 217 |  South Korea | 14.7% | 2025 |
Each figure is the latest available for that country, so rows can refer to different years; compare years before comparing values.
Where major economies rank
- United States: 26.5% in 2025, rank 144 of 217.
- China: 22.1% in 2025, rank 188 of 217.
- India: 35.4% in 2025, rank 104 of 217.
- Japan: 19.1% in 2025, rank 208 of 217.
- Germany: 22.2% in 2025, rank 186 of 217.
- United Kingdom: 26.8% in 2025, rank 140 of 217.
- France: 26.5% in 2025, rank 145 of 217.
- Brazil: 28.0% in 2025, rank 127 of 217.
- Canada: 23.1% in 2025, rank 175 of 217.
- Nigeria: 71.8% in 2025, rank 21 of 217.
Use this data programmatically
Fetch the same 217-country ranking as JSON or CSV — fresh on every request, drop-in for dashboards, scripts, and notebooks. 1,000 free requests/day, no signup needed; sign up for usage tracking and 50,000/day on Pro.
curl 'https://statisticsoftheworld.com/api/v1/rankings/SP.POP.DPND.YG?format=csv' \ -o youth-dependency-ratio.csv
Understanding Youth Dependency Ratio by Country
The youth dependency ratio compares the number of people aged 0 to 14 with the working-age population aged 15 to 64. A ratio of 50% means there are 50 children for every 100 working-age adults. High ratios indicate large young populations that need investment in education and healthcare; low ratios indicate aging societies.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest ratios, reflecting high fertility, while East Asian economies such as South Korea and Japan are near the bottom after decades of low fertility. The "demographic dividend" arrives when the ratio falls quickly: fewer dependents per worker frees resources for investment and consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest youth dependency ratio?
The Central African Republic has the highest youth dependency ratio: 99.1% in 2025. The figures come from World Bank data.
Which country has the lowest youth dependency ratio?
South Korea has the lowest youth dependency ratio: 14.7% in 2025.
How many countries are ranked by youth dependency ratio?
217 countries have a figure in this ranking. All 217 figures are for 2025. The data comes from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
What is the median youth dependency ratio across countries?
The median is 33.0%: half of the 217 countries are above it and half below. It counts each country once, so it is not a world average.