dependency ratio

基本解释

More children would increase the dependency ratio until they were old enough to join the labour force.
虽然生育更多的孩子，在他们达到工作年龄加入劳动力之前，“抚养比率”会上升。
More children would increase the dependency ratio until they were old enough to join the workforce, but reduce labour shortages in the long term.
孩子多了，在他们长大到有劳动能力之前会增加抚养比率，但是从长远的眼光看会减少劳动力短缺。
China’s one-child policy will keep birth rates low, but as life expectancy continues to increase, so will the dependency ratio, reducing the country’s potential for growth.
中国的独生子女政策将保持人口出生率低下，但是由于平均寿命继续提高，抚养比率将会上升，这将降低国家的发展潜力。

It's mirrored in the soaring dependency ratio, which is the population of children and elderly divided by the population of active workers.
FORBES: Africa and economics
That means China's old-age dependency ratio (which compares the number of people over 65 with those aged 15 to 64) will soar.
ECONOMIST: Demography
In rural areas the dependency ratio will rise far more steeply than in cities as young people move out and the elderly stay behind.
ECONOMIST: The consequences of an ageing population