North Korea: Age dependency ratio

The latest value from 2025 is 46.28 percent, an increase from 45.66 percent in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 57.96 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for North Korea from 1960 to 2025 is 54.52 percent. The minimum value, 42.95 percent, was reached in 2019 while the maximum of 77.67 percent was recorded in 1971. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The age dependency ratio for North Korea is calculated as follows: Age dependency = (people younger than 15 and older than 64) / (working age people ages 15-64). A higher value for North Korea and other countries means that employed people have to support more non-working people, either young or old.

Definition: Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.