Demography
Birth rate - the number of live births per thousand of the population per year.
Fewer babies are being born. In 2013 698,512 babies were born, meaning that the birth rate was 9.2.
Reasons for this change...
Access to abortion - women can now abort their baby
Decline in infant mortality rate - children more likely to survive past their first birthday so women are having less babies
Increase in singlehood - Women are embracing individualisation and independence and are staying single and not having children.
Rise in feminism - the equal pay act has meant that women have found empowerment encouraging women to look at different options.
Increase in child centeredness - as there is more focus on the welfare of children, women are now having less children.
Increased in expense of children - changes in law, for example making education compulsory so children are now financially dependent on women for longer.
Total fertility rate - the average number of children women have during their fertile years. As there are less babies being born then that means the TFR has also declined.
The effects of a decrease in the TFR
Effects on the family are that it means smaller families, women are more likely to go out to work and voluntary childlessness.
Effects on society are a reduction in the dependency ratio and less future works.
Effects on public services and policies are fewer schools, less strain on the NHS, changes in types/amounts of houses required.
Death rate - the number of deaths per thousand of the population per year. The death rate has fallen in the UK from 19 to 8 between 1900 and 2015.
A falling death rate has therefore increased life expectancy.
In 1901 the life expectancy for males was 45 and females was 49.
In 2005 it was 77 for males and 81 years for females.
The Office for National Statistics puts UK life expectancy 79.4 years for men and 83.1 years for women in 2017.
Therefore producing an ageing population.
An ageing population affects society in different ways,
- It's more difficult for younger generations to secure full time or permanent jobs as people are working for longer because they are living longer.
- Is we have introduced a dependency ratio for older generations as people are living longer and so will require care for longer by families or other institutions.
- It can also cause housing issues as society needs more housing to accommodate for new home owners and older generations.
Impacts of changing birth and death rates
A decline in the need for schools but an increase in the need for care and health services as a result of the ageing population.
Impact on social policy - how does society finance and house an ageing population.
Decrease in birth rate means fewer workers can work and care for the ageing population.
Rise in one person elderly households - mostly females
Families can be expected to take lead role in the care for the elderly.