Dependency ratio calculator
This dependency ratio calculator puts the young and the old in relation to the working-age population: with 15,000 children under 15, 65,000 people aged 15–64 and 20,000 aged 65 and over, the total dependency ratio is 53.8 per 100 people of working age.
Example: Young people (under 15) 15,000 · Working age (15–64) 65,000 · Older people (65 and over) 20,000 → Total dependency ratio: Total dependency ratio: 53.8 per 100 people of working age. Source: Eurostat, Statistics Explained – Glossary: Young-age dependency ratio (unter 15 je 15–64) und Old-age dependency ratio (65+ je 15–64) (gelesen 10.10.2026). Updated: .
How it is calculated
Youth dependency ratio = young ÷ working age × 100; old-age dependency ratio = older ÷ working age × 100; total dependency ratio = sum of both. Eurostat defines the young-age dependency ratio as the number of young people under 15 compared to the number of people of working age (15–64), and the old-age dependency ratio as the number of people aged 65 and over compared to the same working-age group. This calculator adds the two ratios for the total and gives all results per 100 people of working age, as Poland’s statistics office GUS does.
Dependency ratio examples
| Under 15 | 15–64 | 65 and over | Total ratio | Old-age ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | 65,000 | 20,000 | 53.8 | 30.8 |
| 300 | 600 | 100 | 66.7 | 16.7 |
| 1,600 | 6,400 | 2,000 | 56.3 | 31.3 |
| 20 | 70 | 10 | 42.9 | 14.3 |
Step by step for the first row: (15,000 + 20,000) ÷ 65,000 × 100 = 53.8; youth 15,000 ÷ 65,000 × 100 = 23.1; old age 20,000 ÷ 65,000 × 100 = 30.8. Percent shares of the age groups work the same way – the counts can be people or percentages of the population.
Reading the result
- A total ratio of 53.8 means about 54 young or older people for every 100 people of working age.
- 100 ÷ old-age ratio gives the number of working-age people per older person: 65,000 ÷ 20,000 = 3.25.
- The ratio counts age groups, not who actually works or needs support; Eurostat speaks of ages at which people are “generally” economically inactive.
Different age limits
Not every statistics office uses 15 and 65. Poland’s GUS, for example, counts the pre-working age up to 17 and the working age as 18–59 for women and 18–64 for men. Enter the three groups exactly as your source defines them; the formula stays the same.
Shares and ratios also come from the percentage calculator and the ratio calculator; for averages use the average calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the dependency ratio?
Add the young (under 15) and the older (65+), divide by the working-age population (15–64) and multiply by 100. (15,000 + 20,000) ÷ 65,000 × 100 = 53.8.
What is the old-age dependency ratio formula?
People aged 65 and over ÷ people aged 15–64 × 100 (Eurostat). 20,000 ÷ 65,000 × 100 = 30.8.
What is the youth dependency ratio?
People under 15 ÷ people aged 15–64 × 100. 15,000 ÷ 65,000 × 100 = 23.1.
Can I use percentages instead of counts?
Yes. If 20 % are under 15, 70 % are 15–64 and 10 % are 65+, the total ratio is (20 + 10) ÷ 70 × 100 = 42.9.
How many workers are there per retiree?
Divide 100 by the old-age dependency ratio: at 30.8 there are about 3.25 people of working age per person aged 65 or over.
Sources and legal basis
- Eurostat, Statistics Explained – Glossary: Young-age dependency ratio (unter 15 je 15–64) und Old-age dependency ratio (65+ je 15–64) (gelesen 10.10.2026)
- GUS, Urząd Statystyczny w Kielcach: Demografia 2014 – wskaźniki obciążenia demograficznego (nieprodukcyjny, poprodukcyjny na 100 produkcyjny, poprodukcyjny na 100 przedprodukcyjny), grupy wieku (gelesen 10.10.2026)
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