Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Dependency Ratio

North Korea’s dependency ratio has fallen sharply from an all‑time peak of 77.67 in 1971 to a trough of 42.95 in 2019, before rising modestly to 46.19 in 2025, placing the country 173rd globally. The long‑term decline reflects the combined effect of a rapidly expanding working‑age population and a shrinking share of both children and the elderly, a pattern also observed in peer economies such as Myanmar (46.16) and Indonesia (46.45). Over the 66‑year series, the ratio’s downward trajectory accelerated after the 1990s, coinciding with heightened urbanisation and state policies that encouraged larger labor‑force participation. The recent uptick to 46.19 suggests a slight ageing of the population, but the ratio remains well below its historic high. Continued improvements in health, education and employment opportunities are likely to keep the dependency ratio stable or marginally lower, provided demographic shocks such as sudden fertility changes or large‑scale migration do not occur.