Ageing / dependant population

Question 1

5 Problems caused by an ageing population

Answer 1

1. Not enough people are working age to fill jobs which Impacts economic growth

2, Less people to qualify and work as nurses doctors and carers

3. Less people of working age to pay taxes to the government which means that they will not be able to provide sufficient healthcare for the ageing population
4. More elderly people pieces of financial strain on the country to provide pensions
5. Low amount of children enrolled in school means that schools may have to close due to insufficient numbers

Question 2

2 Stats proving there is a dependant population

Answer 2

1. Birth rate / Death rate:
   In 2024, Italy’s birth rate was 6.3 births per 1,000 population, while its death rate was 10.4 deaths per 1,000 population.
2. Fertility rate
   Low and continually declining fertility rate of 1.2 children per woman (in 2024)

Question 3

3 Causes of an ageing population

Answer 3

1. Low birthrate caused by years of economic recession, high unemployment. This has lead to people being worried about the financial burden of children.
2. People having children later in age - The average age for the first child is 31 years and six months; This is generally caused by people prioritising their career over having children.
3. An increase in life expectancy has led to a growing number of elderly people due to advancements in healthcare. WHO (World Health Organisation) stats:
   In 2021 - Life expectancy at birth was 82.2 years.
   * Male life expectancy at birth was 80.5 years
   * Female life expectancy at birth was 84.9 years.
   In Italy, life expectancy improved by ▲ 2.83 years from 79.4 years in 2000 to 82.2 in 2021

Question 4

1 Case study

Answer 4

Italy

Question 5

3 Solutions

Answer 5

Increase birth rate:
Done through economic motivations - Italy provides financial assistance for people who have babies, a.k.a. a baby bonus.

Keep a strong working population:
Gradually increasing the age of retirement to ensure people are still working. Also, older workers are being supported through retraining programmes and flexible working arrangements to extend their participation in the labour market.

Incentivising young, working age migrants:
Immigration policies are being reformed to attract skilled workers from abroad, integrating them into society and the workforce. This can be seen to be working…
Foreign-born people were employed in Italy:
1990 - Approx. 160,000
2023 - Approx. 2.3 million
Also, around 70% of new immigrants entering Italy are under 35 years old.