Earth's population is rapidly aging. What does it mean?

Today in the world there are more people over 65 thanever in human history. Life expectancy has increased significantly, and having children in many countries of the world has become less common. According to the United Nations, we are seeing for the first time a situation in which there are more elderly people on the planet than children. In 2019, 705 million people on the planet are elderly, and about 680 million children are between 0 and 4 years old. How will this affect our future?

An increase in life expectancy is a success story of our species, but an increase in the number of elderly people creates a number of pressing socio-economic problems.

The planet’s population will continue to age,as these two groups grow in opposite directions. By 2050, the proportion of people aged 65 and over will increase by almost 16 percent, more than double the number of children under the age of five.

Lack of "brand new"

Demographers who have been following these trends for several decades have come to the conclusion that the reasons lie in the increase in life expectancy and the decline in fertility.

But how will an aging population affect you and me specifically?

As you know, in 1960 there were about five children per woman. Today, almost 60 years later, there are an average of 2.5 children per woman.

Good question: Is the world really overpopulated?

And if in 1960 people lived on average a littlemore than 52 years, then, for example, in 2017, the average life expectancy reached 72 years. This means that with age, people will be more in need of resources, and this, in turn, will increase pressure on health systems and pensions.

What to do with it?

Some developing countries take notethe approach of countries such as Japan and Italy, using political measures to limit fertility. China and India introduced family planning initiatives in the 1970s, as a result, the Chinese population is aging faster today.

However, a decrease in fertility may havepositive consequences. When fertility rates decline and the population is not yet old, governments can spend more on secondary and higher education and stimulate the economy. How did Thailand and South Korea.

However, population experts warn that the quality of health will play a decisive role in matters related to the quality of life of older people.

And how would you solve the problem of an aging population on the planet? Share your opinion in the comments and subscribe to our channel in Yandex Zen.