the change of population structures

Question 1

problems with an ageing population?

Answer 1

• more money needs to be spend on pensions for the elderly.
• there will be fewer children which means fewer adults in the years to come to generate money and help.
• more care services need to be added such as day care, meals on wheels, same with sheltered housing and care homes. the elderly use healthcare services more which raises the cost of health care. these costs are paid by taxes but there are fewer people of working age who pay tax.
• there will be a decreasing number of people in the armed forces and fewer potential parents.
• schools and nurseries may have to shut down due to the lack of children

Question 2

solutions to an ageing population.

Answer 2

• increase the workforce by encouraging migration from other countries.
• raise the age of retirement, so that less money needs to be paid out in pensions.
• encourage people to take out private pensions to save the government money.
• raise taxes to cover the shortfall in government income.
• increase child benefits to encourage people to have more children.

Question 3

what are the effects of a rapidly growing population?

Answer 3

• farms are becoming smaller in rural areas. this means that farmers have to farm the land more intensively in order to grow food and makes the soil poorer.
• more and more trees are being cut down in rural areas. this is to create more farmland or to provide fuel and building material which allows soils to be blown/washed away. the land then becomes even more infertile with fewer crops to grow, people becoming more poor/hungry and many moving to cities.
• the population in urban areas is increasing even more rapidly because of immigrants from the countryside. authorities cannot build enough houses for everyone, so people build their own shacks which lack even the basics such as toilets and water supply.
• there aren’t enough jobs for everyone in urban areas, so unemployment is high along with crime rates.
• traffic congestion is now worse in urban areas.
• services cannot cope in urban areas with many extra people, so schools and hospitals are overcrowded, because of this not everyone has access to them.

Question 4

solutions to a rapidly growing population.

Answer 4

• introduce policies such as china’s one child policy.
• give advice on birth control at family planning clinics.
• have free birth control or make it more affordable.
• reward couples who only have one child such as free education.
• improve child heath which will reduce infant mortality rates and encourage couples to have fewer children.
• improve the education of women so that they have more opportunities for a career which often persuades them to have fewer children.

Question 5

solutions to increase birth rates

Answer 5

• increase child benefits.
• more maternity benefits.
• longer period of both maternity and paternity leave.
• tax allowances for larger families.