Officials of the U. S. Census have said that the U. S. dependency ratio is poised to soar from 22 in 2010 to 35 in 2030 as baby boomers age.

It has been reported that the dependency ratio is the ratio of those typically not in the labor force age 20 and under and those 65 and older dependent on the working population of those ages 20-64. The higher the old-age dependency ratio, the greater the potential burden on the working population.

The census report has said that after 2030 the ratio of the aging population to the working-age population will rise more slowly, to 37 in 2050.

The projections are not based on 2010 U. S. Census results, it is a projection from the 2000 Census using births, deaths and net international migration data.

Victoria Velkoff, assistant chief for estimates and projections for the Census Bureau's Population Division, said in a statement, "This rapid growth of the older population may present challenges in the next two decades."

She further added, "It's also noteworthy that those 85 and older, who often require additional caregiving and support, would increase from about 14 percent of the older population today to 21 percent in 2050."