Ageing Population- UK

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Ageing population - UK

General overview

More elderly dependants than young dependent due to less births yet people are living to an old age

Usually rich countries in stage 5 of the DTM such as the UK

UK's ageing population causes:

People living longer due to improved healthcare (1980-2006 life expectancy rose 2.6 for women and 6.4 years for men)

Baby boom occurred in 1940s-1960s. Those people are now retiring causing a pensioner boom

Less babies born

Social impacts:

Healthcare services stretched more (Average stay 8 nights)

people may have less children as they can't afford to have lots.

More old people = lower pensions, so retiring age increases

elderly people are living in poverty

Economic impacts:

Taxes will rise due to more pensions to pay for

Grows more slowly as less money is spent on things that help the economy.

Strategies that influence population change:

Encourage women to have more children - working family tax credits makes it affordable to have children

Encourage immigration of young people to the UK (80% of EU immigrants were aged 34 and under)

Strategies to cope with the problems:

Raise the retirement age, currently 65 for men but will increase to 68 years for everyone by 2046

Encourage people to take out private pensions so that they don't have to solely rely on state pensions

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