Mauritius has almost as many elderly people as children: 97 for every 100

  • Mauritius had 97 elderly people per 100 children in 2025, over 11 times Africa’s median of 8.5.
  • Its ratio increased from fewer than seven in 1960 to 24 in 2000, becoming Africa’s highest in 2009.
  • Seychelles ranked second with 44 elderly people per 100 children, followed by Tunisia with 42.
  • Mauritius’s child share fell from 25.6% to 14.5% between 2000 and 2025, while its elderly share increased from 6.1% to 14.1%.
  • Nigeria’s ratio moved from 6.9 to 7.6 between 2000 and 2025, placing it 38th among 54 countries.

Across most of Africa, children vastly outnumber elderly people. Mauritius is approaching a very different balance.

It did not always stand apart. In 1960, Mauritius had fewer than seven elderly people for every 100 children, slightly below the median African country. The ratio reached 24 by 2000, and Mauritius moved to the top of the African ranking in 2009.

By 2025, it had 97 elderly people for every 100 children, more than 11 times the median of 8.5 across Africa’s 54 countries. No other country came close. Seychelles had 44, while Tunisia had 42.

The change reflects movements in both age groups. Between 2000 and 2025, children aged 0–14 declined from 25.6% to 14.5% of Mauritius’s population, while people aged 65 and above increased from 6.1% to 14.1%.

Nigeria’s ratio changed much less over the same period, from 6.9 elderly people per 100 children in 2000 to 7.6 in 2025. It ranked 38th among Africa’s 54 countries.

Source:

World Bank World Development Indicators

Period:

2025
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