Dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents (people younger than 15 or older than 64) to the working-age population (those ages 15-64 )

Some countries have high dependency ratios because they have lots of older people (elderly dependents), others have lots of young people (young dependents).

Countries with lots of older people are typically HICs, whereas those with lots of young people are typically LICs.

According to CIA Factbook, in 2020 Haiti had a total dependency ratio of 60.4, but this is not the whole story. Haiti's high dependency ratio is because it has lots of young dependents. Its youth dependency ratio is 52.1, the second highest in the Western Hemisphere (just behind Guatamala). Whereas it's elderly dependency ratio is only 8.3.

This means Haiti is considered a country with High Child Dependency because its youth dependency ratio is >45 and its elderly dependency ratio is <15.

This creates very specific issues for Haiti in the short, medium and long term. Some of which are detailed below.

On the assumption that Haiti can reduce it's fertility through appropriate family planning its youthful population could be a major benefit, particularly if they are healthy and educated. This creates major challenges for Haiti.