birth rates/death rates/fertility rates/aging population

Question 1

what is demography?

Answer 1

the study of the population and their characteristics

this involves looking at:
AGE
- is the average age of the population rising or falling?

SIZE
- is the population large or small?
- growing or declining?

Question 2

what is birth rate?

Answer 2

number of live births per 1000 of the population, per year

Question 3

what is total fertility rate?

Answer 3

the average number of children women will have during their fertile years (ages 15-44)

Question 4

what factors affect the countries population?

Answer 4

• population increases due to birth, medical advancements and immigration (people entering the country)
• population decreases due to death and emigration (people leaving the country)

Question 5

birth rates - trends

Answer 5

• long term decline in birth rate since 1900
• several baby booms (men returning from war)
• 1901 - birth rate was 29 per 1000 (fertile women between 15-44)
• 2001 - birth rate was 11 per 1000
• 2012 - birth rate was 13 per 1000

Question 6

baby booms

Answer 6

• 1946 - post war baby booms
• 1955-1965 - rising living standards caused a baby boom
• 2000s - immigration from eastern eurpoe who tend to have larger families

Question 7

3 reasons for the change in birth rate since 1900s

Answer 7

1. POSITION OF WOMEN
   - increased education/work opportunities
   - changes in attitudes
   - access to contraception
2. DECLINE IN INFANT MORTALITY RATE
   - better housing and sanitation
   - better nutrition
   - better hygiene
   - after 1950s improved medical knowledge and services
   - immunisation programmes
3. CHILDREN HAVE BECOME AN ECONOMIC LIABILITY

Question 8

total fertility rates - trends

Answer 8

the average number of children being born per woman has decreased:
- 1961 - average 2.8 children
- 2014 - average 1.83 children

average household has halved in the last 100 years due to:
- increased lone parent families
- less children per family
- more people living alone

Question 9

effects of the changes in fertility rate

Answer 9

• smaller families (woman working/dual income families)
• fewer children (lonelier childhood/child centred and more likely to be spoiled)
• dependency ratio (aging population - more old people than young people)
• strain on public services (aging population)

Question 10

what is death rate?

Answer 10

number of deaths per 1000 of the population, per year

Question 11

what is infant mortality rate?

Answer 11

the number of infants who die before their 1st birthday per 1000 babies born alive, per year

Question 12

what is a disease of affluence?

Answer 12

‘diseases of affluence (wealth’ has replaced infections. for example obesity as people can now afford to buy excessive amounts of food

Question 13

death rates - trends

(why are people living longer?)

Answer 13

• people are now living longer - more immunity/medical advancements
• public health measures improved e.g. cleaner environment / can search cleanest areas
• decline in dangerous occupations
• increased knowledge about the spread of diseases
• higher incomes = better lifestyle
• medical improvements e.g. advanced surgery, better screening programmes for cancer etc
• better educated about smoking and diet (nutrition i.e. 5 a day campaign)

Question 14

new health issues - obesity replacing smoking

Answer 14

• in the 21st century obesity has replaced smoking as the new lifestyle epidemic
• deaths have been kept low due to drug therapies and expensive medical treatment

Question 15

what is the impact on society of these changing death rates?

Answer 15

• increased aging population (more old people than young people)
• higher dependency ratio (less people working and more people depending on the state)
• more people living alone
• increased sandwich generation (the generation taking care of their own children or grandchildren and older family members)

Question 16

how has life expectancy changed?

Answer 16

• as death rates fall, life expectancy has also risen

1900 - 53 for men / 57 for women
2013 - 83 for men / 86 for women

Question 17

how does class, gender and regional differences effect life expectancy?

Answer 17

• women tend to live longer than men
• manual workers are 3 times more likely to die before 65 than men in professional jobs
• people in poorest areas of england die on average 7 years earlier than those in the richest areas

Question 18

aging population - trends

Answer 18

• average age of the population is rising
• fewer young people and more old people
• in 2014, the number of over 65s equalled the number of under 15s
• the average age of the population has increased from 34 to 40 since the 1970s

this is caused by:
- increased life expectancy
- decline in infant mortality
- decline in fertility rates - fewer births

Question 19

what is the impact of an aging population?

Answer 19

1. strain on public services
   - more health / social care
   - housing (old people homes)
   - transport (free bus pass)
2. increase in one person pensioner households
   - mainly female
3. dependency ratio
   - non working young and non working old and economically dependent are a tax burden

Question 20

what does JANE PILTCHER (1995) say about the aging population and pensions?

Answer 20

• the middle class often have better pensions so are financially more secure
• gender pay gap means female pensioners are more likely to live in poverty
• women usually take career breaks to have children
• older women suffer from more ageism than old men

Question 21

policy implications of an ageing population

(what policies need to be changed to tackle problems faced by an aging population?)

Answer 21

• pay more into pension schemes
• increase retirement age
• changes in housing policy - trade down into smaller houses/retirement houses