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older dependents. In countries with a high youth depen- AP® Exam Ti p
AP® Exam Tip
dency ratio, such as Afghanistan, meeting the needs
of a large number of young people for education and Spatial patterns of population are critical in understanding
employment can pose a major challenge. In countries population patterns. The term cluster is spatial. Keep
in mind how clusters impact the geographic aspects of
with a high elderly dependency ratio, such as Japan population and why nearby places tend to have similar
and Italy, providing medical services and caring for the demographic patterns.
elderly people become critical issues.
World Dependency Categories elderly dependency ratio (15 percent or higher). About
a dozen countries, including the United States, France,
As Figure 8.2 shows, the Population Reference Bureau Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, are in this
has identified the following five different dependency category.
patterns:
High elderly dependency: These countries have
High child dependency: These countries have a an aging population. Their youth dependency ratio is
high youth dependency ratio (higher than 45 percent) lower than 29 percent, but their elderly dependency
but a low elderly dependency ratio (lower than 15 ratio is high (15 percent or higher). This category
percent). Most African countries and a number of other includes most European countries, Canada, Cuba,
developing countries, such as Pakistan, fall in this China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.
category.
Low overall dependency: This category includes
Moderate child dependency: These countries have only four Middle Eastern countries: Kuwait, Qatar,
a moderate youth dependency ratio (29–45 percent) the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. All of these
and a low elderly dependency ratio (lower than countries have experienced an influx of immigrant

15 percent). Most countries in Latin America, South workers over an extended period of time, which means
Asia, Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia are in this that their working-age population is relatively high.
category. As a result, both their youth and elderly dependency
Double dependency: These countries have a moderate ratios are low (lower than 29 percent and 15 percent,
youth dependency ratio (29–45 percent) but a high respectively).

80°N 80°N
Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
60°N 60°N

40°N 40°N
ATLANTIC
OCEAN Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer
20°N 20°N
PACIFIC PACIFIC
OCEAN OCEAN
Equator
0° Equator 0°
INDIAN
Age dependency, 2018 OCEAN
20°S
20°S 20°S
High child dependency ATLANTIC Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn
Moderate child dependency OCEAN
40°S Double dependency 0 2000 4000 miles 40°S
40°S
40°S
High elderly dependency
Low overall dependency 0 2000 4000 km
160°W 100°W 80°W 60°W 40°W 20°W 0° 20°E 40°E 60°E 80°E 100°E 120°E 140°E 160°E 180°
160°W
100°W
Figure 8.2 Countries by age dependency category, 2018. How would you summarize the world patterns of dependency categories?
24 Unit 2 Population and Migration Patterns and Process
©2021 BFW Publishers. Sample material is NOT FINAL and corrections will be made prior to publication.

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