Signal Korea's old-age dependency ratio is projected to rise to about 47 by the 2030s

Summary

The government cites the old-age dependency ratio, defined as the elderly population divided by the working-age population and multiplied by 100. The ratio averaged 12.3 in the 2000s and 17.3 in the 2010s. It is projected at 28.7 for the 2020s and 47.0 for the 2030s. The figures for the 2020s and 2030s are estimates rather than observed values. The government uses them to illustrate why ageing is expected to weaken domestic demand and raise the fiscal cost of supporting older people.