What is the calculation of the number of self-sufficient, productive adults compared with the number of dependents in a given population called?

• A. Demographic shift
• B. Old-old
• C. Dependency ratio
• D. Genetic clock

Answer: (C)

The dependency ratio measures how many dependents there are for every working-age, productive adult in a population. It compares the number of people who are typically not in the labor force (children and often the elderly) to the number who are in the labor force, highlighting the burden on those who are working. The ratio is usually expressed as dependents per 100 working-age people, so a higher ratio means more dependents relative to the productive group, which has implications for social spending on things like education, pensions, and healthcare. For example, if there are 80 working-age individuals and 40 dependents, the ratio is 40 dependents per 80 working-age people (often written as 50 dependents per 100 working-age people). Other terms like a demographic shift describe broader population changes over time, old-old refers to a specific elderly age group, and genetic clock is unrelated to this demographic measure.