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S3 Geography: Population Structure and Dependency Ratio (Paper 4: mistake clinic)
S3 Geography: Population Structure and Dependency Ratio (Paper 4: mistake clinic)
S3 Geography population structure paper four, error clinic: ten questions on the usual slips of using total population as the denominator, treating the unemployed as dependants, confusing percentage points with per cent, and judging ageing from absolute numbers.
Direct answers Answers in order: 42.9 per cent, 17.1 per cent, 25.7 per cent, 66.7, 12.0 per cent, 180 000 people, 45.0 per cent, nine people, the unemployed remain of working age, and a sustained rise in the share aged 65 or over.
01 Paper details (check answers afterwards)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 10 |
| Suggested time | 20 |
| Difficulty mix | Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1 |
| Chapter | Chapter: S3 Geography: Population Structure and Dependency Ratio |
| Level | S3 Geography |
02 Questions (10 items)
- FoundationA place has 600 000 people, with 108 000 aged 0 to 14, 420 000 aged 15 to 64 and 72 000 aged 65 or over. What is the total dependency ratio?
- FoundationWith the same figures, what is the old age dependency ratio?
- FoundationWith the same figures, what is the child dependency ratio?
- IntermediateWith the same figures, what is the ageing index?
- IntermediateWith the same figures, what percentage of the total population is aged 65 or over?
- IntermediateWith the same figures, how many dependants are there in total?
- ChallengeWith the same figures, if the working age group falls to 400 000 while dependants stay the same, what is the total ratio?
- ChallengeA dependency ratio of 45.0 means how many dependants for every 20 working age people?
- ChallengeA student counts unemployed people as dependants. Is that right?
- Error redoWhat is the most accurate data definition of population ageing?
03 Answers and one-line notes
| # | Answer | One-line note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (108 000 + 72 000) divided by 420 000, giving 42.9 per cent. | Key drill: add both dependent groups in the numerator and put only the working age group in the denominator. |
| 2 | 72 000 divided by 420 000, giving 17.1 per cent. | The two parts should add up to the total ratio, which is a useful check. |
| 3 | 108 000 divided by 420 000, giving 25.7 per cent. | The child ratio exceeds the old age ratio here, so the burden still comes mainly from children. |
| 4 | 72 000 divided by 108 000 and multiplied by 100, giving 66.7. | An index below 100 means the elderly still number fewer than the children. |
| 5 | 72 000 divided by 600 000, giving 12.0 per cent. | This one takes total population as denominator, unlike a dependency ratio, so read the question carefully. |
| 6 | 180 000 people. | That is 108 000 plus 72 000, or three tenths of the total population. |
| 7 | 180 000 divided by 400 000, giving 45.0 per cent. | A smaller denominator lifts the ratio even when the number of dependants has not changed. |
| 8 | Nine people. | The ratio is per hundred, so dividing by five gives the figure for twenty people. |
| 9 | No. Unemployed people are still aged 15 to 64 and belong to the working age group. | The dependent group covers only ages 0 to 14 and 65 plus, so employment status does not change the classification. |
| 10 | A sustained rise in the share of the population aged 65 or over. | The absolute number of elderly people is not enough; the share and its trend matter. |
04 What to do after marking
- After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
- Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
- Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.
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