If children form 40 percent of a country's population, which need may be especially important?

Correct answer: Large investment in education and child health

When children make up 40 percent of a country's population, the country has a very large youthful group. Children need services before they can become independent adults, so public planning must give special attention to schools, teachers, classrooms, nutrition, vaccination, and child health. Investment is also needed to help these children gain skills and find work when they enter adulthood. Therefore, option A, large investment in education and child health, is the most suitable answer.

A high child share may create pressure on family budgets and public facilities, but it can become an opportunity if children receive good education and health care. Pensions and elderly homes are important in countries with large elderly populations, not as the main immediate response to a 40-percent child population. The word “only” in the other choices makes them especially unsuitable: a young population may eventually need employment and other services as well. Thus option A follows directly from the age composition described.