South Africa vs Suriname: Youth dependency ratio

South Africa
38.7%
in 2023
Suriname
39.1%
in 2023
South Africa rank
100th
Suriname rank
99th

Youth dependency ratio over time

  • South Africa
  • Suriname
0255075100195019862023

How they compare

Suriname currently reports 39.1% against 38.7% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Suriname ahead.

South Africa ranks 100th and Suriname ranks 99th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and Suriname in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Suriname Difference Ahead
1950s 74.6% 82.0% 7.3% Suriname
1960s 77.4% 97.5% 20.1% Suriname
1970s 77.0% 90.8% 13.8% Suriname
1980s 69.6% 67.2% 2.3% South Africa
1990s 63.5% 60.1% 3.4% South Africa
2000s 50.3% 49.4% 0.9% South Africa
2010s 43.1% 44.4% 1.2% Suriname
2020s 39.4% 39.8% 0.3% Suriname

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher youth dependency ratio, South Africa or Suriname?
Suriname, at 39.1% against 38.7% in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in youth dependency ratio between South Africa and Suriname?
0.4%, with Suriname ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Suriname?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do South Africa and Suriname rank globally for youth dependency ratio?
South Africa ranks 100th and Suriname ranks 99th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Youth dependency ratio. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Suriname: Youth dependency ratio. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/age-dependency-ratio-young-of-working-age-population/south-africa/suriname/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth dependency ratio
Unit
%
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Number of children under 15 per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).