Effects of ageing on society (long)

Posted on June 5, 2011 by writefix

In countries such as Japan, the population is getting older. Are the effects of an ageing population positive or negative?

In many countries such as Japan or Russia, the average age of the population is becoming older. Most people think this has a negative effect on a society, but it can also provide some opportunities. In this essay, I will look at some effects of ageing on a country.

When a population gets older, many roles in the society change. First of all, there may be fewer young people to take care of older parents or family. This may cause a breakdown in family relationships. It can also mean that older people need care in nursing homes. There is also an effect on work. Older workers may not want to do hard physical work or to work in poorly paid jobs. This may cause a shortage of workers and the country may have to import foreign workers for these positions. A third effect is on government spending. Instead of spending on schools and colleges, healthcare may become a priority to treat diseases such as cancer, diabetes or heart conditions.

However, not all the effects have to be negative. Although some people claim that older people do not have new ideas, older employees can be extremely productive and efficient and this can help companies to succeed. There may be less crime in the society, since there may be less competition for jobs or other needs. Some people worry that an older society will be more conservative and will be focused on the past. However, this could also mean a more compassionate society which is less focused on material things. Another possible outcome of an ageing society is that there may be people to take care of young children. In addition, children might have a better education if schools and colleges were not as crowded.

In conclusion it’s probably better for a society to have a good equilibrium in which all age groups are balanced. However, we need to be ready for demographic changes in order to provide our citizens, young or old, with the best opportunities.