What does the dependency ratio measure?

The dependency ratio is a demographic measure that evaluates the balance between two critical segments of the population: the working-age individuals (typically defined as those aged 15-64) and the dependents, which include the young population (usually those under 15) and the elderly (usually those aged 65 and over). This ratio quantifies the number of dependents for every 100 working-age individuals, providing insight into the economic burden placed on the productive population.

By assessing this balance, the dependency ratio helps to understand the potential socioeconomic challenges a society might face, such as financing healthcare and education for the young and elderly, as well as how many workers are available to support the non-working segments of the population. A higher dependency ratio indicates a greater burden on the working-age population, which can lead to higher taxes and a strain on social services.

In contrast, other options address different aspects of demographic or economic measures. For instance, evaluating job vacancies in relation to working-age individuals focuses more on employment dynamics rather than dependency. Measuring migration deals solely with demographic shifts and does not reflect the balance of dependent and working populations. Lastly, the proportion of employed individuals describes labor market conditions rather than the broader dependency concerns related to age structure. Hence, the measurement captured