Reasons As To Why There An Ageing Population

Question 1

Key statistics of ageing population

Answer 1

• 1902: - 33% of population were under age 15
• 63% between ages of 15 to 65
• 4% over 65
• 2012:
• 17% over 65

Question 2

Why is there an ageing population?

Answer 2

• increasing life expectancy
• decline infant mortality rate
• declining fertility rate

Question 3

What are the implication of an ageing population?

Answer 3

• strain on public services: more money is needed for the elderly due to pensions?
• increase in dependency ratio
• increase in one- person pensioner household

Question 4

How has an ageing population affected family/household types?

Answer 4

• more beanpole families
• more extended families
• more neo-conventional families
• more lone- person household

Question 5

How has an ageing population affected gender roles?

Answer 5

• more beanpole families = more women having to leave work to look after them
• more extended families = more women having to leave work to look after them
• more neo-conventional families = more women going to work as grandparents can go and provide children
• more lone-person households = more women having to leave work to look after them/ check in on them

Question 6

Positive consequences of an ageing population

Answer 6

• family support: rise in neo-conventional families = families need grandparents to look after children
• a boost to the economy: - emergence of new markets
• purchasing power of older people

Question 7

Negative consequence of an ageing population

Answer 7

• more work for women: feminists = there’s a practical burden of women for eg: dual burden and triple shift
• growing burden on dependence and the ‘pensions’ timebomb: - increased dependency ratio = high taxes for govt spending on pensions