If the number of children remains stable while the working-age population grows, how may child dependency change?

Correct answer: It may decline

Child dependency is a ratio, not simply the number of children. It compares the child population with the working-age population, often using a form such as children divided by working-age people and multiplied by 100. If the number of children stays constant while the working-age population increases, the denominator becomes larger. The resulting ratio therefore becomes smaller, assuming the groups are measured over the same population period.

Option A is correct because each working-age person would represent fewer children on average. The ratio cannot become negative, and it is not certain to increase when the numerator is stable but the denominator grows. There is a direct relationship between the two groups, so “no relationship” is also wrong. A lower child-dependency ratio may reduce immediate support pressure and can create more scope for savings, investment, and public spending on development.