Population age structure has implications for national policy agendas and resource allocation. Countries with relatively high fertility and child dependency face challenges in investing sufficient resources in the development of young people’s human capital. If such investments are made, these countries have an opportunity to reap the economic growth benefits of a larger, better educated working-age population. Countries experiencing high old-age dependency or double dependency (relatively large shares of child and older-adult populations) face different challenges. They must address the high costs of older adults’ medical and long-term care needs while also investing in the well-being of and future opportunities for younger generations.
A dependency ratio is the number of people in a dependent age group (those under age 15 or ages 65 and older) divided by the number in the working-age group (ages 15 to 64), multiplied by 100. For instance, a child dependency ratio of 45 means there are 45 children for every 100 working-age individuals.
17 июл 2024
