ABSTRACT
The design of the family burden coefficient (FBC) borrows from that of the dependency ratio by using number of people as a key indicator of burden. Non-working age people create family burden and represent the numerator whereas both working-age and non-working age people shoulder family burden and represent the denominator. The biggest difference between a nation or region’s FBC and an individual family’s FBC is the index’s statistical unit. The individual family’s FBC transforms into a regional FBC through weighting. As a macro-level indicator, population-based FBC works in similar ways as the dependency ratio in terms of form and nature, as both measure the influence age has on social burden.
