Question

How does the demographic transition that takes place due to medical innovations and urbanization affect the old-age dependency ratio? Explain using the dependency ratio formula and the determinants of population growth

Answer 1

Answer

Demographic transitions are changing the health needs of the population. Care for the chronically ill and for people with disabilities is a growing challenge in practically all societies. Long-term care (LTC) includes activities undertaken for persons who are not fully capable of self-care on a long-term basis by informal caregivers (mainly the family) and by formal caregivers. All developed countries have established LTC programs under the auspices of health and welfare services, and many developing countries are in the initial stages of some development. However, there is no single paradigm. The article focuses on critical key issues in the organization and provision of LTC, providing insight for development of care policies.

You can calculate the ratio by adding together the percentage of children (aged under 15 years), and the older population (aged 65+), dividing that percentage by the working-age population (aged 15-64 years), multiplying that percentage by 100 so the ratio is expressed as the number of 'dependents' per 100 people aged  

The dependency ratio is a measure of the number of dependents aged zero to 14 and over the age of 65, compared with the total population aged 15 to 64. ... The dependency ratio is also referred to as the total or youth dependency ratio