In economics, the dependency ratio shows the relationship between the number of people not in the labor force and those in the labor force.
Those not in the labor force are the dependent part of the population.
Those in the labor force are the productive part of the population.
A high dependency ratio means that there are fewer working people to support health, social security and education services, which are used by the dependent sectors of a population.
This number is calculated by adding together the total number of young and old people and dividing that number by the number of working age people.
dependency ratio = 赡养比率，抚养比率
labor force = 劳动力
dependent = 受抚养的，受赡养的
productive = 有生产能力的，生产性的
calculate = 计算
Questions:
1. Which part of a population works to support health, social security and education services?
>> Those in the labor force.
2. What shows the relationship between the dependent part of the population to the productive part?
>> The dependency ratio.
Sometimes the dependency ratio is presented in two parts.
One part focuses on the ratio between children and the working age population.
This is the dependency ratio for the young.
The other is the ratio between the elderly and the working age population, which is the dependency ratio for the old.
Here are some dependency ratios for the old in 5 countries, China, India, Japan, the US and the UK.
It shows the ratios at 3 different points of time, 2000, 2015 and 2050.
Note that the greatest percentage change from 2015 to 2050 is for China.
The dependency ratio nearly triples from 13.1 to 39.
The other counties show gains, but as a percentage increase, they are less.
In Japan, the ratio increases from 43.6 to 71.8 which is less than double.
triple = 增至三倍
Questions:
1. What was the dependency ratio for the old in Japan in 2000?
>> 25.2
2. In percentage terms, which country is expected to increase the most between now and the year 2050?
>> China
Put the sentences below in order:
(1) One part focuses on the ratio between children and the working age population.
(2) Sometimes the dependency ratio is presented in two parts.
(3) This is the dependency ratio for the young.
(4) The other is the ratio between the elderly and the working age population, which is the dependency ratio for the old.
Correct Order: (2) (1) (3) (4)
Repeat Sentences:
1. Note that the greatest percentage change from 2015 to 2050 is for China.
2. Those not in the labor force are the dependent part of the population.
3. The dependency ratio shows the relationship between the dependent and productive parts of a population.
The life expectancy for Japan in 2050 is predicted to be 93, which is the highest of these countries.
A high life expectancy obviously increases the dependency ratio.
And note that the dependency ratio ignores the fact that those counted in the elderly segment of a population are not necessarily dependent.
An increasing proportion of them are working, and many of those in the working age segment may not be working.
So this way of calculating the dependency ratio in the country can be misleading.
By pointing this out, we can see the danger of using such numbers to make policy without understanding how they are calculated.
In the end, details are important.
life expectancy = 预期寿命
Exercises:
1. How does the life expectancy of a country affect its dependency ratio?
The higher the life expectancy, the higher the dependency ratio.
2. When using numbers like dependency ratios to make policy, one needs to understand how they are calculated.
Repeat & Read Sentences:
1. The higher the life expectancy, the higher the dependency ratio.
2. Sometimes the dependency ratio is presented in two parts.
3. When using numbers like dependency ratios, one needs to understand how they are calculated.
4. This number is calculated by adding together the total number of young and old people and dividing that number by the number of working age people.
5. Health problems can lead to disabilities that make it difficult to live without assistance.
6. One reason the population of children isn't growing is because of very low birth rates in developed countries.
