Is a high dependency ratio good?

A high dependency ratio indicates that the economically active population and the overall economy face a greater burden to support and provide the social services needed by children and by older persons who are often economically dependent.

Is a low dependency ratio good?

A low dependency ratio is desirable because it indicates that there are proportionally more adults of working age who can support the young and the elderly of the population.

What is considered a good dependency ratio?

Higher ratios indicate a greater level of dependency on the working-age population. The U.S. ADR is 62., or roughly 62 dependents for every 100 workers. Likewise, the U.S. CDR and SDR are 35.8 and 26.7, respectively.

What does the dependency ratio tell us about a country?

The dependency ratio is the total number of people who are too young or old to work, divided by the number of working-age people. Dependency ratios reveal the population breakdown of a country and how well dependents can be taken care of.

Is a lower or higher dependency ratio better?

A good dependency ratio is a low dependency ratio. A low dependency ratio indicates that there is a sufficient number of people in the workforce that can support the dependent population. Lower dependency ratios typically signify better healthcare for the elderly as well as higher pensions.

Is higher dependency ratio a problem?

A high dependency ratio indicates that the economically active population and the overall economy face a greater burden to support and provide the social services needed by children and by older persons who are often economically dependent.

Which country has the highest dependency ratio?

Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) – Country Ranking

Rank Country Value
1 Japan 48.01
2 Finland 36.63
3 Italy 36.57
4 Portugal 35.49

Which country has the highest dependency rate?

The highest value was in Niger: 110.26 percent and the lowest value was in Qatar: 17.81 percent. The indicator is available from .



Dependent people as percent of the working age population, 2019 – Country rankings:

Countries Niger
Age dependency ratio, 2019 110.26
Global rank 1
Available data 1960 – 2021

Why does China have a low dependency ratio?

Development in China



In combination with a growing working age population, these were the two main demographic causes for China’s large and cheap labor force. However, the dependency ratio has been falling since the 1970s, mainly because of lower birth rates and a resulting decrease of child dependency.

How high is a high dependency ratio?

Countries with a dependency ratio close to 1 have high dependency – they have 1 person of working age for every dependent person. Dependency ratios of 0.5 are better; this means that for every 2 working age people there is only 1 dependent person to cater for.

What is considered high dependency?

Some hospitals have High Dependency Units (HDUs), also called step-down, progressive and intermediate care units. HDUs are wards for people who need more intensive observation, treatment and nursing care than is possible in a general ward but slightly less than that given in intensive care.

What is a high dependency ratio example?

A high dependency ratio means that the ‘dependents’ in society are more reliant on a smaller number of working-aged people. For instance, there may be one dependent in society and the dependency ratio may be 10, which would suggest that there are 10 people providing for that dependent.

Who has a high dependency ratio?

Age dependency ratio – Country rankings



The highest value was in Niger: 110.26 percent and the lowest value was in Qatar: 17.81 percent. The indicator is available from .

Why is rising dependency ratio a cause of worry in many countries?

A rising dependency ratio is a cause for worry in countries that are facing an ageing population, since it becomes difficult for a relatively smaller proportion of working-age people to carry the burden of providing for a relatively larger proportion of dependents.

How does dependency contribute to poverty?

Poverty is also related to dependency. A 1 percent increase in the dependent population increases the poor population in a state by about 0.3 percent. An increase in AFDC benefits by 1 percent of average personal income increases the number of poor residents ofa state by nearly 0.8 percent.