Labour dependency ratio in European Union 28
European Union 28: Labour dependency ratio was 1.16 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour dependency ratio in European Union 28, 1991–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2027, labour dependency ratio in European Union 28 stood at 1.16.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in European Union 28 peaked at 1.47 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 1.14, in 2023.
That places European Union 28 54th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Labour dependency ratio in European Union 28, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.38 | — |
| 1992 | 1.41 | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 1.46 | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 1.47 | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 1.46 | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 1.46 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 1.44 | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 1.42 | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 1.39 | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 1.38 | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 1.36 | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 1.35 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 1.34 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 1.33 | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.31 | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 1.28 | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 1.25 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 1.23 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 1.29 | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 1.3 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 1.3 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.31 | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 1.32 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.3 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.28 | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 1.25 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 1.22 | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 1.2 | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 1.18 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 1.21 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 1.2 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 1.16 | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 1.14 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 1.14 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.15 | +0.5% |
| 2026 | 1.15 | +0.5% |
| 2027 | 1.16 | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.43 | 1.38 | 1.47 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.31 | 1.23 | 1.38 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.27 | 1.18 | 1.32 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.16 | 1.14 | 1.21 | 8 |
Countries ranked near European Union 28
- 51 Ghana 1.73 compare
- 52 Sri Lanka 1.72 compare
- 53 Cameroon 1.7 compare
- 53 Uzbekistan 1.7 compare
- 55 Suriname 1.69 compare
- 56 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 1.69 compare
- 57 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.68 compare
More work & labour data for European Union 28
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 254,923 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 57.21 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 190,645 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 82,196 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 121,951 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 53.96 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.8736 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.3826 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 242,261 (2025)
- Employment 242,261 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour dependency ratio in European Union 28?
- Labour dependency ratio in European Union 28 was 1.16 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in European Union 28?
- The highest recorded value was 1.47 in 1994.
- What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in European Union 28?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.14 in 2023.
- How does European Union 28 rank for labour dependency ratio?
- European Union 28 ranks 54th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in European Union 28?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this European Union 28 data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator provides the ratio of dependents (persons aged 0 to 14 + persons aged 15 and above that are either outside the labour force or unemployed) to total employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.