Dependency Ratio

Three generations of women bonding outdoors
Sam Edwards/OJO Images/Getty Images
By
Ashley Crossman
Updated March 02, 2017

Definition: The dependency ratio is the number of young and elderly people in a population divided by the total adult population. The larger the dependency ratio is, the greater the burden on the average adult because the needs of the dependents must be met by the rest of the adult population.

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Crossman, Ashley. "Dependency Ratio." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/dependency-ratio-definition-3026250. Crossman, Ashley. (2020, August 27). Dependency Ratio. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/dependency-ratio-definition-3026250 Crossman, Ashley. "Dependency Ratio." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/dependency-ratio-definition-3026250 (accessed January 23, 2021).