The following table provides population information for different age groups in 2010 and 2017. | Age group | Population in 2010 | Population in 2017 | 0 to 14 years | 201630 | 213609 | 15 to 64 years | 899210 | 847552 | 65 years and above | 232450 | 254474 | The percentage change in old-age dependency ratio from 2010 to 2017 is (round off to two decimal places).

Old-age dependency ratio 2010: 232450/899210× 100 ≈ 25.85% Old-age dependency ratio 2017: 254474/847552× 100 ≈ 30.03% Percentage change: (30.03 - 25.85)/25.85× 100 ≈ 4.18/25.85× 100 ≈ 16.17% Therefore the percentage change in the old-age dependency ratio is approximately 16.17%, within the key's accepted range of 15.00 to 17.00.

1 markEconomics of Growth and DevelopmentPopulation and demographic transitionFertility, mortality and population measuresModerateabout 2 min

GATE 2023 Question 44: Population and demographic transition

The following table provides population information for different age groups in 2010 and 2017.

Age group	Population in 2010	Population in 2017
0 to 14 years	201630	213609
15 to 64 years	899210	847552
65 years and above	232450	254474

The percentage change in old-age dependency ratio from 2010 to 2017 is ______ (round off to two decimal places).

Answer and worked solution

Answer: 15.00 to 17.00

Old-age dependency ratio 2010: $\dfrac{232450}{899210}\times 100 \approx 25.85\%$

Old-age dependency ratio 2017: $\dfrac{254474}{847552}\times 100 \approx 30.03\%$

Percentage change:

$\frac{30.03 - 25.85}{25.85}\times 100 \approx \frac{4.18}{25.85}\times 100 \approx 16.17\%$

Therefore the percentage change in the old-age dependency ratio is approximately 16.17%, within the key's accepted range of 15.00 to 17.00.

The trap: 4.18

A common error is computing the raw percentage-point difference between the two ratios (30.03−25.85≈4.18) and reporting that directly, instead of correctly computing the percentage change — dividing that difference by the base-year (2010) ratio and multiplying by 100.

Population and demographic transition has come up 34 times in 5 exams since 2010.

What this question tests

This question is on Fertility, mortality and population measures, part of Population and demographic transition in Economics of Growth and Development.

The rates used to describe a population.

TestStop has 13 past-paper questions on this subtopic.

Take this paper as a timed mock More on Fertility, mortality and population measures

Question from the GATE 2023 paper. Solutions are TestStop's own. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any examination authority.