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Spain has the highest dependency load due to their aging population and less births in the country. The dependency load of Spain is 44%. Malawi comes in as second, with a dependency load of 43.2%. They have a huge population of younger people. Canada has the lowest dependency load at 35.1%. Canada has a better ratio of working age people to seniors and younger people than the other 2 countries.

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Spain has the highest life expectancy, with over 10% of the population over 75. However, Spain's population is aging. Canada has the next highest life expectancy, with 8.9% of the population over 75. Malawi comes in last with less than 1% of the population making it to age 75.

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DALL·E 2024-12-02 18.38.03 - A symbolic image representing life expectancy. A silhouette of a person growing older through different stages of life, with a gradient of colors from

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Looking at these population pyramids, we can tell that Spain has the least amount of people in the 0-4 age group. This is more evidence of their aging population and low birth rate. Canada has the next lowest birth rate with people between 0 and 4 making up less than 6% of the population. Malawai has a much higher birth rate than these two countries by a lot. In Malawai, people between the ages of 0 and 4 make up over 14% of the population.

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When comparing countries’ life expectancies, birth rates, and dependency loads, it is important to look at factors that could affect this. Things like access to education for women, healthcare, nutrition and living conditions are all common factors. Spain and Canada seem to be quite similar in most cases. They both have low birth rates because there is more access to education for women and higher living costs in these countries which makes having big families not as ideal. Aging populations mainly drive the dependency loads in these countries. In Malawi, it is culturally encouraged to have bigger families with more kids, but the life expectancy is lower due to poor healthcare, living conditions and disease spreading.

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DALL·E 2024-12-02 18.40.06 - A symbolic image representing the reasons behind Malawi's low life expectancy and high birth rate. The image should show a rural setting with a large 

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It is important that we are able to recognize patterns in the population trends. This can help make important decisions in government policy and can help people know how certain things are affecting the population. A higher life expectancy can mean a country has good healthcare and living conditions, while a low birth rate can increase the dependency load in the future, or let the government consider changing immigration policies to counteract this.

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DALL·E 2024-12-02 18.40.51 - An image representing the importance of collecting data like life expectancy, birth rate, and dependency load for planning the future. Show a group of

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Every year, millions of dollars are spent by countries around the world to collect data about their populations, such as life expectancy, dependency load, or birth rate. But why is it important to do all this? Perhaps it is true that our everchanging populations require constantly updated data to plan for our future, for "In preparing for the future, it is necessary to recognize trends and adapt accordingly"*, said Sir. Winston Churchill.

All this data that governments all over the world collect and keep track of helps them and the people living there be aware of population trends. These trends are important as they can influence government decisions so that changes can be made to combat any negative effects. Knowing the dependency load helps governments be able to allocate resources for the dependent population, which is in most cases kids and the elderly. This means building schools, or budgeting for pensions. Life expectancy can signal the state of a country's healthcare system. The higher the life expectancy is, the better the country is able to manage illnesses and injuries, as well as the general population's access to nutrition. Birth rate and dependency load also affect the economy of a country. A higher dependency load may put strain on an economy, while a low birth rate can signal future labour shortages, thus bringing a need for immigration. These trends can also help infrastructure get planned according to data, and allow for aid to be given to other countries for areas they might need.

* quote was modified

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DALL·E 2024-12-02 18.41.46 - An image representing the importance of collecting data like life expectancy, birth rate, and dependency load for planning the future. Show a diverse 

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No two countries can be the same for 2 people, but "What one nation provides to its citizens, another cannot", said John F. Kennedy, as each country is geographically, socially, and economically different, and amidst all of this, it is up to us to decipher data and uncover why there are such drastic differences in population trends between countries.

For starters, the economic stability and strength of a country may play a role. Not every country has the same location and resources. Taking a look at the 2024 population data of Canada, Spain, and Malawi, we right away can notice that Spain and Canada are quite similar. Both developed nations with aging populations. They have significant elderly populations and have a relatively low birth rate.

These trends can be attributed to the fact that these countries have good healthcare which makes it possible for people to live longer, and access to more education, especially for women, allows people to be more career-focused, thus lessening the chance of having a child. The cost of living in these countries is also higher, which brings a lot of financial responsibility. As mentioned before, these countries also have a lot of people dependent on the working-age population compared to the working population itself, which is a huge factor in the dependency load.

Taking a look at Malawi, we notice that there is a distinct pyramid shape, with a huge percentage of people under the age of 5, and barely any over 75. The low life expectancy is because of limited access to healthcare to treat diseases, as well as poor nutrition being common. Less clean water and sanitization also play a role. The high birth rate can be because it is culturally encouraged, and simply more practical. In Malawi, there are fewer opportunities for women to get education, and typically kids help work in agriculture with their families and support their parents in old age.

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Dependency Load: The part of the population that is not in the workforce and relies on them for support. This is primarily made up of youth and the elderly.

Life Expectancy: The average number of years someone is expected to live. This can reflect living conditions and overall health in a country.

Birth Rate: The number of births in a population per 1000 people.