Labour dependency ratio in Western Europe
Western Europe: Labour dependency ratio was 1.11 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour dependency ratio in Western Europe, 1991–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2027, labour dependency ratio in Western Europe stood at 1.11.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in Western Europe peaked at 1.32 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.07, in 2023.
That places Western Europe 62nd 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 Western Europe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.24 | — |
| 1992 | 1.26 | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 1.3 | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 1.32 | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 1.31 | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 1.32 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 1.32 | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 1.31 | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 1.28 | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 1.26 | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 1.25 | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 1.25 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 1.25 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 1.28 | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 1.26 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 1.23 | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.2 | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 1.17 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 1.19 | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 1.18 | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 1.16 | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 1.16 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 1.15 | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.15 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.15 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.14 | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 1.12 | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 1.11 | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.09 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.12 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 1.11 | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 1.08 | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 1.07 | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 1.08 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 1.09 | +1.2% |
| 2026 | 1.1 | +1.2% |
| 2027 | 1.11 | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.3 | 1.24 | 1.32 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.23 | 1.17 | 1.28 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.14 | 1.09 | 1.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 | 1.07 | 1.12 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Western Europe
- 59 French Polynesia 1.65 compare
- 60 Honduras 1.65 compare
- 60 North Macedonia 1.65 compare
- 62 Kyrgyzstan 1.63 compare
- 63 Haiti 1.63 compare
- 64 Cape Verde 1.59 compare
- 65 Mongolia 1.59 compare
More work & labour data for Western Europe
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 91,861 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1881 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0615 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0476 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0749 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 185,317 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 93,457 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 25,875 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 173,621 1000 No (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour dependency ratio in Western Europe?
- Labour dependency ratio in Western Europe was 1.11 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in Western Europe?
- The highest recorded value was 1.32 in 1997.
- What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in Western Europe?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.07 in 2023.
- How does Western Europe rank for labour dependency ratio?
- Western Europe ranks 62nd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in Western Europe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Europe 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.