Demographic Change

Demographic Change

1. LEDC

   • Ageing Population
     • SOCIAL
       • Pressure on the medical and care system
       • More older people to care for (impacts the family and care system)
     • ECONOMIC
       • Pensions and medical care costs increase, could lead to higher taxes
       • Strain on government due to people living longer
       • Pensions may have to be lowered
     • ENVIRONMENT
       • If people live longer they need to be fed for longer so more pressure on resources
   • Urbanisation
     • SOCIAL
       • More people living in the urban area means there will be pressure on housing, could be an influx in squatter housing
     • ECONOMIC
       • Costs of providing more services and housing
     • ENVIRONMENT
       • Urban sprawl due to growing population, swallowing up parts of the rural area
   • Rising Population
     • ENVIRONMENT
       • Increased pressure on resources
         • Food production: can lead to overcultivation and the impacts associated (i.e. desertification)
         • Water: People may have to turn to contaminated water and therefore disease is more common
         • Fuel: Fossil fuels are rapidly running out and increasing population puts more pressure on these valuable resources
       • More land required for housing, services etc.
     • ECONOMIC
       • Costs of providing for more people
       • Not enough jobs for increased population so unemployment rises
     • SOCIAL
       • Pressure on housing due to more people
       • Larger workforce
       • More disease to pressure on water supply
       • With more demand for food production, there will be more opportunities for farmers to improve their livelihood
   • Youthful Population
     • With high birth rates, LEDC's have high levels of people under 15
     • ECONOMIC
       • Young people need health care (e.g. immunisation) which is expensive for a country to provide
       • Education is costly for the government to provide
     • SOCIAL
       • Children are a valuable source of income for families
       • Large workforce when the children become adults

2. PLANET

   • Rising Population
     • ENVIRONMENT
       • Increased pressure on the land and resources
     • SOCIAL
     • ECONOMIC
       • Pressure on government spending to support increasing populations
   • Climate Change (more emissions)
     • ENVIRONMENT
       • A higher population means more greenhouse emissions and therefore, global warming will increase
       • With more people to feed, there will be more pressure on global food production, therefore meaning more fossil fuels used to make fertilisers
     • SOCIAL
       • Increased emissions can lead to health issues
       • More natural disasters and therefore devastation and destruction
     • ECONOMIC
       • With more people and more emissions, the costs of the effects of climate change will escalate
   • Global Food Production
     • ENVIRONMENT
       • More food will be grown, so more pressure on the land (e.g. higher use of fertilizers)
     • SOCIAL
       • With more demand for food there will be more opportunities for farmers to improve their livelihoods
       • There may be more child labour and forced labour due to more pressure on the food industry to produce more
         • This could also mean working conditions and salary suffer
     • ECONOMIC
       • Food prices may soar if there isn't enough to go around

3. MEDC

   • Ageing Population
     • Life expectancy in MEDC's is higher due to: 1) improvements in health care and medicine 2) improved standard of living and quality of life 3) improved education into health and diet 4) more recreation and leisure time
     • ECONOMIC
       • Fewer economically active people to support the elderly population
       • More pensions to pay for, putting a strain on government spending and could result in higher taxes
     • SOCIAL
       • It is common for old people to retire to the seaside or countryside, so these areas could become overpopulated
   • Counter-Urbanisation
     • In MEDC's, population in the rural area is increasing due to: 1) Better communications so people can work from home 2) Better road networks and transport systems so people can commute 3) Better environmental quality 4) More services on the rural urban fringe 5) Less crime so safer
     • ECONOMIC
       • House prices may soar due to high demand
     • SOCIAL
       • Villages lose their community feel
       • With high house prices, young locals may be forced away
     • ENVIRONMENT
       • More houses and services may be required, taken up land in the rural area
       • With more inhabitants (and especially commuters), congestion and therefore the environmental quality of the area are compromised
   • Rising Population