Dependency Ratio | UPSC

Persons 65 years and above and children from 0 – 14 years are considered as dependents.

The total dependency ratio is the ratio of the combined dependent population to those in the age group of 15 – 65 years. It is also called societal dependency ratio.

The total dependency ratio can also be divided into young age dependency ratio and old age dependency ratio.

Total dependency ratio = (Total population below 15 years and above 65 years) x 100/Total population in the age group of 15 – 64).

The term demographic bonus denotes the decline in dependency ratio due to declining fertility. The term demographic burden is used to denote the increase in total dependency ratio during any period of time mostly caused by increased old age dependency ratio .

Potential support ratio is the number of persons aged 15 to 64 per one older person aged 65 or more. This is the inverse of the old age dependency ratio.

LATEST UPDATE:

​As of 2023, India’s age dependency ratio—which represents the ratio of dependents (individuals younger than 15 or older than 64) to the working-age population (ages 15–64)—is approximately 47%.

This indicates that there are 47 dependents for every 100 working-age individuals.

This ratio has been on a declining trend over the past decade, dropping from around 53% in 2013 to 47.5% in 2022, and further to 47% in 2023.

Projections suggest that India’s dependency ratio may continue to decrease, potentially reaching its lowest point at 31.2% by 2030, as the working-age population peaks.