China vs North Korea: Total dependency ratio
China
44.7%
in 2023
North Korea
44.9%
in 2023
China rank
196th
North Korea rank
193rd
Total dependency ratio over time
- China
- North Korea
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 44.9% against 44.7% in China, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was North Korea ahead.
China ranks 196th and North Korea ranks 193rd of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, China averaged higher in 5 and North Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 73.3% | 78.9% | 5.6% | North Korea |
| 1960s | 80.4% | 69.5% | 10.9% | China |
| 1970s | 77.9% | 73.1% | 4.8% | China |
| 1980s | 58.6% | 53.1% | 5.5% | China |
| 1990s | 50.1% | 45.9% | 4.2% | China |
| 2000s | 40.7% | 47.0% | 6.3% | North Korea |
| 2010s | 39.7% | 44.4% | 4.7% | North Korea |
| 2020s | 44.5% | 44.0% | 0.5% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total dependency ratio, China or North Korea?
- North Korea, at 44.9% against 44.7% in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in total dependency ratio between China and North Korea?
- 0.2%, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North Korea?
- 74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
- How do China and North Korea rank globally for total dependency ratio?
- China ranks 196th and North Korea ranks 193rd of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Total dependency ratio. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).