Old-age dependency ratio in Germany

In 2025, Germany had 35.9 people aged 65 or over for every 100 people aged 15 to 64. The value for 2025 is the highest in the series, which starts in 1960. The source marks a break in the series within this span, so values before and after it may not be fully comparable.

Measure: Old-age dependency ratio Unit: People aged 65+ per 100 people aged 15 to 64 Data: 1960 to 2025 Source: Eurostat
Germany, 2025 35.9 People aged 65+ per 100 people aged 15 to 64
Change from 2024 +2.0% 2024: 35.2 per 100 working-age people
European Union, 2025 34.5 per 100 working-age peopleep (Source flag ep) Official aggregate
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2025 32.7 per 100 working-age people Middle value of 27 countries
Position in 2025 9th of 40 See the full ranking

Old-age dependency ratio in Germany over time

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Germany European Union ×

People aged 65+ per 100 people aged 15 to 64. Source: Eurostat. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.

Old-age dependency ratio (people aged 65+ per 100 people aged 15 to 64), 2001 to 2025
Period GermanyEuropean Union
2025 35.9 per 100 working-age people 34.5 per 100 working-age peopleep (estimated, provisional)
2024 35.2 per 100 working-age people 33.9 per 100 working-age peopleep (estimated, provisional)
2023 34.9 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series) 33.4 per 100 working-age peoplebep (break in time series, estimated, provisional)
2022 34.7 per 100 working-age people 33.1 per 100 working-age peopleep (estimated, provisional)
2021 34.2 per 100 working-age people 32.6 per 100 working-age peoplebep (break in time series, estimated, provisional)
2020 33.7 per 100 working-age people 32.0 per 100 working-age peoplee (estimated)
2019 33.2 per 100 working-age people 31.4 per 100 working-age people
2018 32.8 per 100 working-age people 30.8 per 100 working-age peoplee (estimated)
2017 32.4 per 100 working-age people 30.2 per 100 working-age peoplebe (break in time series, estimated)
2016 32.0 per 100 working-age people 29.6 per 100 working-age peoplebe (break in time series, estimated)
2015 32.0 per 100 working-age people 29.0 per 100 working-age peoplebe (break in time series, estimated)
2014 31.6 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series) 28.4 per 100 working-age peoplebe (break in time series, estimated)
2013 31.5 per 100 working-age people –
2012 31.4 per 100 working-age people 27.1 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series)
2011 31.4 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series) 26.6 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series)
2010 31.4 per 100 working-age people 26.3 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series)
2009 30.9 per 100 working-age people 26.0 per 100 working-age people
2008 30.4 per 100 working-age people 25.7 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series)
2007 29.9 per 100 working-age people 25.4 per 100 working-age people
2006 28.9 per 100 working-age people 25.1 per 100 working-age people
2005 27.8 per 100 working-age people 24.7 per 100 working-age people
2004 26.8 per 100 working-age people 24.4 per 100 working-age people
2003 25.9 per 100 working-age people 24.1 per 100 working-age people
2002 25.2 per 100 working-age people 23.8 per 100 working-age people
2001 24.5 per 100 working-age people 23.4 per 100 working-age peopleb (break in time series)

Flags: b break in time series; be break in time series, estimated; e estimated; bep break in time series, estimated, provisional; ep estimated, provisional . A dash means no value was published.

In short

  • That is a change of +2.0% from 35.2 per 100 working-age people in 2024.
  • Since 2015, when it was 32.0 per 100 working-age people, the figure has changed by +12.2%. The source marks a break in the series during this period, so part of the change may come from a change in method.
  • Among the 40 countries with data for 2025, Germany has the 9th highest value.
  • The figure for the European Union in 2025 was 34.5 per 100 working-age people.

Source and dates

Original producer
Eurostat
Source
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
Dataset or series code
demo_pjanind · dataset details · view at source
Selection
freq=A indic_de=OLDDEP1
Observation period
1960 to 2025 for Germany
Provider update
25 September 2026
Retrieved
9 November 2026
Published here
9 November 2026
Licence
Eurostat reuse policy (attribution)
Attribution
Source: Eurostat