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Korea – Dependency Ratio

Name: Korea Dependency Ratio
Creator: World Bank
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Ratio of dependents (people younger than 15 or older than 64) to the working-age population (15-64). Higher ratios imply greater economic burden on workers. · World Bank

42.53 +1.08 from 2023 G20 rank: 26th · all-time high: 87.71 (1966)

APA

Korea Dependency Ratio. HistorySaid. Retrieved March 10, 2026, from https://historysaid.com/korea/dependency-ratio

BibTeX

@misc{historysaid_korea_dependency-ratio,
  title = {Korea Dependency Ratio},
  url = {https://historysaid.com/korea/dependency-ratio},
  publisher = {HistorySaid},
  year = {2026}
}

Data & Projection▾

Year	Value	Change	Rank
2027* trend	45.24	–	–
2026* trend	44.32	–	–
2025* trend	43.40	–	–
2024	42.53	+1.08	26th
2023	41.45	+0.81	22nd
2022	40.64	+0.86	21st
2021	39.78	+1.01	18th
2020	38.77	+0.89	16th
2019	37.88	+0.58	13th
2018	37.30	+0.52	12th
2017	36.78	+0.32	12th
2016	36.46	−0.00	10th
2015	36.46	−0.01	10th
2014	36.47	−0.06	11th
2013	36.53	−0.25	11th
2012	36.78	−0.47	11th
2011	37.25	−0.45	11th
2010	37.70	−0.33	12th
2009	38.03	−0.40	14th
2008	38.44	−0.39	14th
2007	38.83	−0.29	14th
2006	39.11	−0.25	14th
2005	39.36	−0.16	15th
2004	39.53	−0.00	14th
2003	39.53	+0.09	12th
2002	39.44	+0.16	8th
2001	39.28	+0.26	8th
2000	39.03	+0.19	7th
1999	38.84	−0.10	7th
1998	38.94	−0.36	7th
1997	39.30	−0.58	6th
1996	39.88	−0.77	6th
1995	40.65	−0.74	7th
1994	41.39	−0.59	9th
1993	41.98	−0.61	10th
1992	42.59	−0.75	12th
1991	43.34	−0.98	13th
1990	44.32	−1.24	18th
1989	45.56	−1.41	22nd
1988	46.98	−1.64	29th
1987	48.61	−1.88	34th
1986	50.49	−2.03	43rd
1985	52.53	−2.09	52nd
1984	54.62	−1.90	63rd
1983	56.52	−1.51	67th
1982	58.03	−1.33	64th
1981	59.36	−1.56	67th
1980	60.92	−1.76	69th
1979	62.68	−2.03	71st
1978	64.71	−2.43	73rd
1977	67.14	−2.71	73rd
1976	69.85	−2.97	77th
1975	72.82	−2.79	80th
1974	75.61	−2.41	83rd
1973	78.02	−2.04	85th
1972	80.06	−1.67	91st
1971	81.72	−1.78	97th
1970	83.50	−1.78	101st
1969	85.29	−1.20	107th
1968	86.49	−0.86	116th
1967	87.35	−0.36	122nd
1966	87.71	+0.39	124th
1965	87.33	+0.83	126th
1964	86.49	+1.36	126th
1963	85.13	+1.76	122nd
1962	83.38	+1.82	115th
1961	81.56	+1.58	106th
1960	79.98	–	100th

Show all years (1960–2024)

* Linear trend extrapolation from last 5 data points

Detected Pattern▾

Export Boom Cycle

Current account surplus with strong export growth (>15% YoY), reserve accumulation, and moderate GDP growth. Typical of commodity exporters during price surges.

Reserves YoY +13.6% GDP growth 5.2% C/A balance 0.2%

This pattern occurred 682 times in G20 history, 460 successful

United Arab Emirates 2024

Reserves YoY

+25.6%

GDP growth

4.0%

C/A balance

14.5%

Guatemala 2024

Reserves YoY

+14.6%

GDP growth

3.7%

C/A balance

2.9%

Cambodia 2024

Reserves YoY

+12.6%

GDP growth

6.0%

C/A balance

0.5%

Sri Lanka 2024

Reserves YoY

+38.3%

GDP growth

5.0%

C/A balance

1.2%

Lesotho 2024

Reserves YoY

+18.0%

GDP growth

2.9%

C/A balance

3.9%

Lithuania 2024

Reserves YoY

+20.1%

GDP growth

2.8%

C/A balance

3.3%

HistorySaid

Over the last decade, Korea's dependency ratio averaged 38.81. The 2024 figure of 42.53 is above this long-run average. Based on recent trends, HistorySaid estimates 43.40 by 2025.