Modern Language Association (of America) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Â© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Â© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Cite This Source
(b) Limitations of the Indicators: The dependency ratio is an approximation to the ratio of net consumers to net producers. As a proxy for that ratio, the dependency ratio suggests that children under age 15 as well as persons aged 65 or over are economically dependent. In many populations, however, people do not stop being economically active at age 65, nor is it true that all persons aged 15-64 are economically active.
The old-age dependency ratio increased from 12 older adults for every 100 working-age people in 1945 to almost 21 seniors for every 100 workers in 2010. Even bigger increases in the older population are expected as more baby boomers enter the retirement years. In 2030, when all of the baby boomers will be 65 or older, there are expected to be 35 senior citizens for every 100 working-age adults, according to Census Bureau projections. At that time, only 57 percent of the population will be between ages 18 to 64, compared with 63 percent in 2012.