Science, Tech, Math › Social Sciences Dependency Ratio Share Flipboard Email Print Sam Edwards/OJO Images/Getty Images Social Sciences Sociology Key Concepts Major Sociologists Deviance & Crime News & Issues Research, Samples, and Statistics Recommended Reading Psychology Archaeology Economics Environment Ergonomics Maritime 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.