Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Africa
South Africa: Age dependency ratio young of working age population was 38.7 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
38.7
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
97th
of 229 countries
All-time high
78.01
in 1970
All-time low
38.7
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Africa is 38.7, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Africa peaked at 78.01 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 38.7, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 97th of 229 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 71.85 | — |
| 1951 | 72.38 | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 73 | +0.9% |
| 1953 | 73.72 | +1.0% |
| 1954 | 74.45 | +1.0% |
| 1955 | 75.12 | +0.9% |
| 1956 | 75.73 | +0.8% |
| 1957 | 76.26 | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 76.75 | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 77.1 | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 77.21 | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 77.23 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 77.21 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 77.09 | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 77.08 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 77.25 | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 77.45 | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 77.65 | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 77.8 | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 77.92 | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 78.01 | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 77.99 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 77.88 | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 77.7 | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 77.47 | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 77.2 | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 76.87 | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 76.38 | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 75.73 | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 75.08 | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 74.05 | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 72.69 | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 71.53 | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 70.59 | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 69.77 | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 68.99 | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 68.22 | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 67.44 | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 66.62 | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 65.73 | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 64.7 | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 64.11 | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 64.28 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 63.41 | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 63.29 | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 64.29 | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 64.57 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 63.93 | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 62.05 | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 59.98 | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 57.84 | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 55.67 | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 53.52 | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 51.56 | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 49.93 | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 48.67 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 47.66 | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 46.79 | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 46.13 | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 45.6 | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 44.99 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 44.38 | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 43.89 | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 43.45 | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 43.08 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 42.68 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 42.79 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 42.75 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 41.97 | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 41.17 | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 40.36 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 39.63 | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 39.1 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 38.7 | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 74.64 | 71.85 | 77.1 | 10 |
| 1960s | 77.39 | 77.08 | 77.92 | 10 |
| 1970s | 77.03 | 75.08 | 78.01 | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.56 | 65.73 | 74.05 | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.46 | 59.98 | 64.7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.34 | 45.6 | 57.84 | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.12 | 41.17 | 44.99 | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.45 | 38.7 | 40.36 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More population data for South Africa
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7997 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1847 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 73,530 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8824 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0148 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.23 (2100)
- Population density 77.75 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 5.55 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Africa?
- Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Africa was 38.7 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio young of working age population recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 78.01 in 1970.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio young of working age population recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.7 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for age dependency ratio young of working age population?
- South Africa ranks 97th out of 229 countries with data for 2023.
- Is age dependency ratio young of working age population rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Age dependency ratio young of working age population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).