Age dependency ratio animation: five countries, 2000–2023

How to read this comparison

An age dependency ratio of 60 means 60 people outside the 15–64 age band per 100 people inside it. It is not a statement that 60% of all residents are dependants. Ratios can exceed 100 and should not be capped as though they were population shares.

Use it in your presentation

Use this clip to introduce population age structure. For a more detailed explanation, obtain the separate young and old dependency series. Keep the denominator in the caption so viewers do not mistake the ratio for a percentage of the entire population.

The data behind the animation

Unit: Per 100 aged 15–64. The table contains the input observations used to render the clip. The video displays 1 decimal place; the CSV preserves up to four.

Method and limitations

Age bands are an approximation, not a count of workers and non-workers. People aged 15–64 can be outside employment, and people outside that band can work. The total ratio also combines younger and older residents, whose needs and trends can differ.

Values are retained in the source unit and rounded to four decimal places in the reusable dataset. Six observation years are selected: 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2023. Every selected country has a value at each chosen year; no missing value was filled. This frozen historical range makes the examples comparable and does not claim to include the latest available observations.

The animation uses a fixed zero-based scale and linear value interpolation, with time proportional to the year gaps. The bars reorder numerically; changing row position is an animation effect. The clip lasts ten seconds at 30 fps, including an opening pause and a 1.5-second final hold.

Source and reuse