Theory question 102
PopulationSection A: answer one question only from this section.
Use the data in the table below to answer the questions that follow:
No of persons in thousands
Age group 0 – 16: 1955: 150; 1960: 143
Age group 17 – 45: 1955: 51; 1960: 107
Age group 46 – 60: 1955: 29; 1960: 33
Age group above 60: 1955: 15; 1960: 17
(a) What is the percentage increase in the working population between 1955 and 1960?
(b) Calculate the ratio of dependent population to the working population in 1955
(c) Calculate the ratio of dependent population to the working population in 1960
(d) Has the dependency ratio increased or decreased between 1955 and 1960?
Show the model answer
Working population = ages 17–60; dependants = ages 0–16 and above 60
(a) Working population 1955 = 51 + 29 = 80 thousand; 1960 = 107 + 33 = 140 thousand
Increase = 60 thousand; percentage increase = 60/80 × 100 = 75%
(b) Dependants 1955 = 150 + 15 = 165 thousand; ratio = 165 : 80 = 33 : 16 (about 2.06 : 1)
(c) Dependants 1960 = 143 + 17 = 160 thousand; ratio = 160 : 140 = 8 : 7 (about 1.14 : 1)
(d) The dependency ratio decreased (from about 2.06 to about 1.14)
First separate the age groups into the working population (17–60) and the dependants (under 17 and over 60).