1. Ageing and youthful populations

2. Ageing populations
Definition: A rise in the median age of the population usually associated with an increase in the proportion of old dependents .
Causes of an ageing population:
High life expectancy- good medical care; good diet and water supply; good sanitation
Low birth rate- emancipation of women; cost of children; emigration of economically active
Stage 5 of the DTM

3. Problems caused by an ageing population
Negative impacts:
shortage of economically active and economic depression
reduced tax income
cost of providing healthcare and care homes (elderly tend to get ill more often)
reduced spending on education, transport etc.
cost of paying state pensions
services/amenities are used less (schools, sports centres as they are not used by elderly residents)

4. Solutions to an ageing population
pro-natalist policies
increased immigration of economically active
increased retirement age
private pensions
private healthcare
increased taxes

5. Advantages of an ageing population
Positive impacts:
elderly people have lots of work experience
less money spent on schools and natal care
lower crime rates
Pros and cons of having elderly workers:
Pros
Cons
Lots of experience
No maternity/paternity leave
May be more flexible with part time jobs
May have to retrain
More likely to take sick days
Harder to invest in
Unable to work in manual labour jobs

6. Case study- UK’s ageing population
In 2005, 16% of the UK’s population were over 65 and it is expected to rise to 41% by 2040.
Reasons:
Increasing life expectancy- between 1980 and 2006 the life expectancy rose 2.8 years for women and 4 years for men. It is currently at 79 for men and 83 for women.
Baby booms- lots of babies were born in the 1940s and 1960s. These large generations have and will soon retire, increasing the number of elderly in the UK
Falling birth rate- there are less young people to have children but people are now more educated and women are focusing more on careers than children

7. Problems it causes
The UK’s ageing population causes many negative impacts.
Pressure on the pension system: there aren’t enough people of working age to pay for an adequate pension for the retired population. State pensions are paid for by the working population through tax.
Many elderly people live in poverty: the state pension isn’t large and many people don’t have other savings.
Pressure on the health service: older people need more healthcare than younger people.

8. Youthful populations
Definition: A fall in the median age of the population usually associated with an increase in the proportion of young dependents.
Causes of youthful populations:
High birth rates:
lack of family planning
no education about contraception
high infant mortality
no care for old dependents
immigration of young dependents
tradition of large families
Stage 2 on the DTM

9. Problems caused by youthful populations
Negative impacts:
cost of childcare and education
increased dependency ratio
increased cost of child benefits paid by government
shortage of workers (short-term)
cost of healthcare
spending diverted from transport, defense etc

10. Solutions to a youthful population
anti-natal policies
increased immigration of economically active
privatised education (removes cost from government)
privatised healthcare
remove child benefits
reduced birth rates (contraception, family planning)
reduced infant mortality rates
greater care of old dependents
immigration restrictions

11. Advantages of a youthful population
Positive impacts:
lower death rates so less money spent on care homes/hospitals
educated and literary population
abundance of future workers
large future market

12. Case study- Uganda’s youthful population
In 2007, 50% of the population were under 15 and only 3% were over 65. The population is becoming even more youthful.
Reasons:
High birth and fertility rates- every year 48 babies are being born for every people and the average number of children for a women is 7
Low life expectancy- the life expectancy is 52 years. There are very few older people, which means the proportion of the population made up of young people is very high

13. Problems this causes
Uganda’s youthful population has many negative impacts.
Overpopulation: The population currently stands at 37.6 million people, but by 2025 it is estimated to reach 56 million. This leads to:
Pressure on health service: around 6000 women die every year during childbirth and when the youthful population reaches its reproductive years, the pressure will be greater, potentially leading to more deaths. Health system is also under pressure from AIDS as it is hereditary and passed on during unprotected sex.
Unemployment could get much worse: In 2003, the unemployment rate was 3.2%. However, 50% of the population were under 15 so weren’t accounted for. When the large youth population reaches working age there won’t be enough jobs for them all, increasing unemployment and poverty.