Comments on: The Dependency Ratio: Use This Number to Find Good International Investments

By: Kudzai Makoni

Kudzai Makoni — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:56:47 +0000

Indeed in my opinion, age and (formal employability) are no longer sufficient, if accurate, variables for measuring dependency ratios. Many adults aged over 64 and children below 14 years are fast becoming income earners in countries where poverty levels are high, so we need to qualitatively explore this concept further until we can provide a more flexible and inclusive definition of dependency ratios. With such we can be able to inform policies in diverse social fields such as by recommending intensified HIV prevention measures in order to reduce the dependency burden of chronically ill patients. This group (the chronically ill) and the disabled are scantly considered in discussing dependency ratios because age and economic activity are prioritised within the context of income earning. Dependency however extends to care giving relationships – a domain where women play a telling part in households. I think therefore that the predominant focus on macro level dependency ratio and economic bias of discussions thereof sidelines the female gender and renders the efforts of women to cater for their care recipients irrelevant.

By: Kudzai Makoni

Kudzai Makoni — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:46:25 +0000

I am very interested in the dependency ration debate, and I cannot agree with you more that it is a key if not central determinant of the state of national economies. However, my feeling is that while it is good to look at dependency ratios at national scales for statistical purposes that will guide us in macro economic planning, we should never ever neglect dependency ratios at the micro level, namely the household. There are many dynamics at play, especially in developing countries such as my own Zimbabwe whereby children aged below 14 years are actively contributing to household and national income through their work. I believe that by taking the discourse of dependency ratio to that micro level we can meaningfully unlock poverty cycles that have sustained rural poverty in most developing countries

By: joanne ryan

joanne ryan — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:37:32 +0000

Great article very helpful to me and corraborated with other opinions on what countries will grow the most in the future that i have been reading. which by the way did not include china as everyone thinks. I am surprised you didn’t memtions japans demographic problems.

By: Monte Notton

Monte Notton — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:07:59 +0000

There are so many ways to view these things. Jim the illegals I encounter don’t support the society they live and work in.Their work and economic activity is a closed loop with most of the disposable income returned to the country of origin. Many have ‘anchor’ babies and are a severe drain on social services of every kind. I have read how much it truly costs us as a country to entertain this cheap labor… I am sure it would be much cheaper, and beneficial to our society to pick our own cotton.

By: Keith Cowieson

Keith Cowieson — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:47:17 +0000

Your Dependency chart doesn’t take into consideration the huge unknown factor that most people are unaware of….

Labour forces will be minimalized anyway with the new automation that is here today! “See any people in to robotic car commercials” telling us something…they don’t need population – bye bye unions, and change your eating habits or the poisons past by the FDA will continue to shorten your life> Eugenics – thinning of the herd is already in place.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:03:06 +0000

Your dependency ratio article was a very good read. I have one comment re: the future dependency ratio in the USA. I think that aging factor you mentioned needs to be tempered by the almost unlimited number of aliens entering the country. Almost all of these are young folks and no telling how many millions of them will continue to pour in and keep the US work force “young”.