Question

Read the following table and answer the questions that follow:

India - Demographic Dividend

Decade	Ratio of working/ non-working population	Percentage of working population
2001-10	1.33 : 1	57.1
2011-20	1.53 : 1	60.5
2021-30 (projected)	1.81 : 1	64.4
2031-40 (projected)	1.72 : 1	63.2

1. What does the table show?
2. What is the relationship between second and third column?
3. How will this relationship affect the economy of India?
4. What will happen if the ratio decreases over the years?

Answer 1

1. The table shows India’s demographic dividend by comparing the ratio of working to non-working population and the percentage of working population over different decades.
2. As the ratio of working to non-working population increases, the percentage of working population also increases.
3. A larger working population can increase production, income, savings and economic growth, provided enough employment opportunities are available.
4. If the ratio decreases, the share of dependent population will rise. This may increase the economic burden on the working population and may slow down economic growth.