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Difficulty: HardPopulation Migration Causes and Effects

Following a major outflow of young healthcare professionals from a West African nation to Europe, demographers evaluated the resulting population metrics in the source country. Which of the following best describes the primary demographic consequence of this selective out-migration stream on the country of origin?

  1. An increase in the total dependency ratio accompanied by a reduction in the economically active age cohortAnswer
  2. B
    A decrease in the total dependency ratio resulting from a smaller proportion of dependent citizens relative to the labor force
  3. C
    A decline in origin pull factors that directly suppresses internal rural-to-urban drift within the country
  4. D
    A structural change in urban settlement morphology from nucleated clusters into linear patterns

Answer

An increase in the total dependency ratio accompanied by a reduction in the economically active age cohort
International out-migration of professionals (brain drain) selectively subtracts individuals from the 15−6415{-}64 working-age demographic. Because the dependency ratio measures dependents (0−140{-}14 and 65+65+) relative to the economically active population (15−6415{-}64), shrinking the working population denominator causes the overall dependency ratio at the origin to rise.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the age group affected by selective international out-migration (brain drain).
Emigrants are predominantly educated young adults within the economically active age bracket (15−6415{-}64 years).
Professional labor migration selectively removes individuals from the working population of the origin country.
2
Apply the demographic dependency ratio formula: Dependency Ratio=Population (0−14)+Population (65+)Population (15−64)×100\text{Dependency Ratio} = \frac{\text{Population } (0{-}14) + \text{Population } (65+)}{\text{Population } (15{-}64)} \times 100.
Reducing the denominator (working-age population) while the numerator (dependent population) remains constant or increases proportionally leads to a higher dependency ratio value.
Fewer working adults remain to support the young and elderly dependents in the source region.

Key Concept

Demographic impacts of selective out-migration on origin country age structure and dependency ratios
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Population Migration Causes and Effects

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