Population Composition — Practice

Question 1

What is sex ratio? Why is the sex ratio in India less than 1,000?

Accepted Answer

SEX RATIO (India definition): The number of females per 1,000 males in a population. India 2011: 940 females per 1,000 males. WHY LESS THAN 1,000 IN INDIA: (1) SON PREFERENCE: In much of India, sons are preferred because they inherit property, support parents in old age (especially in the absence of social security), and carry on the family name. This preference leads to: (2) SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION / FEMALE FOETICIDE: Despite being illegal under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, sex-selective abortions continue in states like Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan. (3) FEMALE INFANTICIDE: Though declining, deliberate neglect or killing of girl infants persists in some communities. (4) NEGLECT OF GIRL CHILDREN: Girls receive less nutrition, less healthcare, and less attention than boys — leading to higher female child mortality. STATE VARIATION: Kerala has India's highest sex ratio (1,084) — reflecting its high female literacy (~92%), women's economic participation, and social status. Haryana has the lowest (879) — reflecting intense son preference and the practice of sex-selective abortion.

Question 2

What is the dependency ratio? How does it differ between developing and developed countries?

Accepted Answer

DEPENDENCY RATIO: The ratio of the 'dependent' population (children 0–14 + elderly 65+) to the working-age population (15–64), expressed as a percentage: Dependency Ratio = [(0–14 population + 65+ population) / (15–64 population)] × 100. It measures the economic burden on the working-age population. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (e.g., Nigeria, Ethiopia): HIGH dependency ratio, dominated by YOUTH DEPENDENCY. Large proportions of children (40–45% of population aged 0–14) because of high birth rates (Stage II/III DTM). Small elderly population (low life expectancy). Each worker must support many children — limiting savings, investment, and capital accumulation. DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (e.g., Germany, Japan): Dependency ratio is HIGH but dominated by AGED DEPENDENCY. Few children (low birth rates, narrow pyramid base). Large elderly population (long life expectancy, Stage IV/V DTM). Economic pressure: fewer workers supporting more retirees. Pension systems and healthcare costs rise. Different types of pressure: developing countries need investment in schools, maternity care, and children's health; developed countries need investment in pensions, elderly care, and geriatric healthcare. TRANSITION — DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND: When a country moves from Stage II to Stage III (birth rates start falling), the youth dependency drops faster than aged dependency rises — creating a period of LOW overall dependency ratio. This is the demographic dividend window when economic growth can accelerate.

Question 3

How does the occupational structure of a population reflect the level of economic development? Discuss with reference to India.

Accepted Answer

OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT: The distribution of a country's workforce across primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors is one of the most reliable indicators of its economic development stage. THEORY — STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION: As economies develop, labour shifts from agriculture (primary) to manufacturing (secondary) and then to services (tertiary/quaternary). This happens because: agricultural productivity rises with technology (fewer workers needed for same output); industrial growth creates manufacturing jobs; rising incomes create demand for services. DEVELOPED COUNTRIES: Primary sector employment: <5%. United States: ~1.5% in agriculture. Germany: ~1.5%. These countries use capital-intensive, mechanised agriculture — a small workforce produces enough food for the whole nation, plus exports. Secondary: 20–30% (manufacturing, construction). Tertiary/Quaternary: 65–80% (services, knowledge economy). DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: Primary sector employment: 40–70%. Sub-Saharan Africa: ~60–70% in subsistence agriculture (low productivity). India: ~43% in primary sector (2020-21). INDIA'S STRUCTURAL PARADOX: India's primary sector employs ~43% of the workforce but contributes only ~18% of GDP. This means agricultural workers are vastly less productive per person than service sector workers. India's IT sector employs <1% of the workforce but contributes ~8% of GDP. This 'structural mismatch' is India's central development challenge: transforming agricultural workers into industrial/service workers requires: (1) education and vocational training, (2) creating enough non-agricultural jobs (India needs ~9 million new jobs/year), (3) improving agricultural productivity so land supports fewer workers. TRENDS: India's structural transformation is slow — agriculture's share of employment fell from ~70% (1950) to ~43% (2020), while its GDP share fell from ~50% to ~18%. The gap between employment and output share in agriculture = measure of how much productivity must increase.

Practice — Population Composition

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