High/Low fertility

Casestudy: China + Japan

Definitions

Old dependents

Young dependents

Economically active

Ageing population

Ageing ratio

Anyone over the age of 65. These people are normally retired.

Anyone under the age of 16. These people are normally being cared for at home or are at school.

People between the ages of 16 and 65. These people are normally working and pay taxes.

A rise in the median age of the population usually associated with an increase in the proportion of old dependents.

click to edit

The proportion of people over the age of 65 compared the total population.

Dependency Ratio

(dependent population / ecnomomically active) * 100

Reasons it might increse

Increasing life expectancy

Falling death rates

Rising birth rates

Immigration of dependents

Emigration of economically active

Young Population

Causes

Solutions

Problems

Advantages

High birthrate due to;

  • lack of family planning
  • No education
  • High infant mortality
  • Primary based economy
  • No care for old dependents from government
  • Immigration of young dependents
  • Tradition and status of large families
  • Cost of childcare and education
  • Increased dependency ratio
  • Increased cost of child benefits paid by the government
  • Cost of healthcare (midwives, health visitors, etc.)
  • Anti-natalist policy (China)
  • Increased immigration of economically active
  • Reduced birth rates (family planning, contraception, etc.)
  • Greater care of old dependents (less children needed to care for elderly)
  • Immigration quotas
  • Lower death rates so less money spent on care homes/hospitals
  • Abundance of future workers
  • Strong military in the future
  • Large future market (young people are often interested in consumer goods)

Ageing Population

Causes

Problems

Solutions

Advantages

High life expectancy caused by:

  • Good medical care
  • Good diet and improved water supply
  • Good sanitation and hygiene
  • Low birth rates caused by:
  • Emancipation of women
  • Cost of children
  • Emigration of economically active
  • Shortage of economically active
  • Reduced taxation income for the government
  • Cost of providing healthcare and care homes
  • Reduced spending on education, policing, transport
  • Cost of paying for pensions
  • Service decline (schools, sports centres, etc.)
  • Pro-natalist policies (Singapore)
  • Increased immigration of economically active
  • Increased retirement age
  • Private healthcare
  • Increased taxes of economically active
  • Elderly people have a lot of experience and can be valuable in the workplace
  • Less money spent on schooling and natal medical care
  • Lower crime rates and less money needed to be spent on policing
  • Elderly workers will not take maternity or paternity leave

Overpopulation

Under population

Optimum Population

When the population is greater than the resources available in the country

When the population is not big enough to fully exploit the economic potential of a country

When the population and resources are perfectly matched.

Population Policies

Pro-natalist Policy

Anti-natalist Policy

A policy that tries to increase birth rates and total fertility rate.

A policy that tries to reduce birth rates.

E.g. Singapore

E.g. China