The Ageing Population

Ageing Population – A Key Trend If one were to take a look at the UK population, one would notice a few trends. For instance, many women are focusing on their careers and postponing pregnancies. There is also a lengthening of the life expectancy of individuals, brought about in part by better health care and technology. The combination of rising mortality improvement and decreasing fertility rates has paved the way for a demographic key trend to occur in the UK which is now experiencing and may very well continue to experience the effects of an ageing population. In a census taken in the UK in 1951, the reports showed that there were approximately .2 million people aged 85 and over. This represented over 0.4% of the entire population. By 2001, however, another census showed that this figure had increased to a little over 1.1 million people and 1.9% of the UK population. Analysis of the Ageing Population in the UK An analysis of the key trend of ageingin the population showed that many factors contributed towards this demographic phenomenon. Today, many people are focused on health and fitness as an important part of life, as there is a global emphasis on enjoying not just life, but the quality of life. Generally, without a net immigration to ease the situation, the plunge that the fertility rate has taken could leave the UK to face the fact that birth-rates are becoming too low to keep up with the replenishing of an ageing population. Ageing Population Seen as a Problem Benefits of an Ageing Population Many demographers have responded to these concerns by pointing out two major facts about the UK’s ageing population: People are not just living longer, but they are also healthier. Experts have concluded that the majority of the older population will only encounter severe age-related illnesses in the last year or so of life. Healthy elderly people are also making a positive contribution to the economy. Health promotions, preventative