What is the dependency ratio and how is it calculated?

• A. The ratio of dependents (0–14 and 65+) to working-age people (15–64): (dependents / working-age) × 100.
• B. The ratio of working-age people to dependents.
• C. The ratio of births to deaths.
• D. The ratio of GDP to population.

Answer: (A)

This measures the burden on the working-age population by comparing how many people rely on others with how many are able to work. The dependent group includes children 0–14 and adults 65+, while the working-age group is 15–64. It is calculated as (dependents ÷ working-age) × 100, so you get a percentage that shows how many dependents there are for every 100 working-age people. For example, with 50 dependents and 100 working-age people, the ratio is (50/100) × 100 = 50.

The other ideas don’t fit because one would invert the relationship (working-age to dependents), births to deaths measure population growth rather than dependency, and GDP to population looks at wealth per person, not the burden of dependents on the workforce.