Identification of age dependentDependents populations and the circumstances underlying age shifts are crucial elements to understand (apparent and latent) impacts of population change. The present work analyses the age dependency ratio in 184 countries around the world. These units have been selected among the 266 countries included in the World BankWorld Bank database. Trends over time in the age dependency ration have been investigated over the last 60 years, from 1960 to 2020, and are expressed as the proportion of dependentsDependents per 100 working-age population. A low value of the indicatorIndicators means enough working people supporting the dependentDependents population, in turn, implying better pensions and better healthHealth care for citizens. Conventionally, a close relationship exists between age and productivity. Nevertheless, the age classification does not always identify a worker or a ‘dependentDependents’. As a result, the mere consideration of the chronological age dependency ratio can often be misleading. Therefore, a more detailed analysis of the indicatorIndicators should clarify the relationship between age and labour participation.