Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) (UNICEF) in Ireland
Ireland: Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) (UNICEF) was 52.55 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
52.55
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
48th
of 74 countries
All-time high
73.52
in 1966
All-time low
45.09
in 2007
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Age dependency ratio in Ireland, 1960–2024
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2024, age dependency ratio in Ireland stood at 52.55.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Ireland peaked at 73.52 in 1966 and was at its lowest, 45.09, in 2007.
Ireland ranks 48th of 74 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) (UNICEF) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 72.74 | — |
| 1961 | 73.11 | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 72.79 | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 72.57 | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 72.72 | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 73.23 | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 73.52 | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 73.33 | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 73.12 | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 73.05 | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 73.21 | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 73.27 | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 72.89 | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 72.45 | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 72.15 | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 71.89 | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 71.59 | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 71.25 | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 70.82 | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 70.31 | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 69.89 | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 69.48 | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 68.99 | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 68.4 | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 67.73 | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 66.9 | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 66.02 | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 65.26 | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 64.58 | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 63.75 | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 62.58 | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 61.24 | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 59.91 | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 58.48 | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 56.94 | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 55.28 | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 53.69 | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 52.31 | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 51.13 | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 50.11 | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 49.19 | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 48.29 | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 47.56 | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 47.15 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 46.81 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 46.24 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 45.47 | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 45.09 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 45.56 | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 46.68 | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 48.07 | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 49.42 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 50.54 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 51.4 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 52.05 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 52.5 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 52.78 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 52.94 | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 53.03 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 53.04 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 53.05 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 53.04 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 52.95 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 52.81 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 52.55 | -0.5% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 52.55 is below the median for high income countries, which is 53.8, 98% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 52.55 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 55.83, 94% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 73.02 | 72.57 | 73.52 | 10 |
| 1970s | 71.98 | 70.31 | 73.27 | 10 |
| 1980s | 67.1 | 63.75 | 69.89 | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.17 | 50.11 | 62.58 | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.8 | 45.09 | 49.19 | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.58 | 48.07 | 53.04 | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.88 | 52.55 | 53.05 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More population data for Ireland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.68 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1157 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,725 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5372 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1844 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.455 (2100)
- Population density 76.73 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 217,052 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Ireland?
- Age dependency ratio in Ireland was 52.55 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 73.52 in 1966.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.09 in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for age dependency ratio?
- Ireland ranks 48th out of 74 countries with data for 2024.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).