Ageing pop.

In this section, you will learn about:

• Current Population issues (Ageing pop.)

• Problems

• Solutions

Ageing Population: 

• Proportion of young decreases (population growth rate/ birth rate is low)

• Proportion of old increases (life expectancy is high)

Problems:

• Facilities

  • • Maternity wards, post-natal clinics and schools built for younger population will be shut down or maintained at a high cost as there is no threshold population for these facilities

      • • Threshold population: Minimum number of people

    • School closures or merging

    •  As school going population shrinks

    •  Teachers and university professors will lose jobs or will need to reskill

    •  The number of job seekers will decrease

• Labour

  • • Shortage of labour

    • Difficult for countries to maintain current standards of living/ achieve higher economic growth

    • Labour costs increase 

    • Makes country less attractive to investors looking for cheap labour

    • Investors don't want ageing workforce; perceived to be less active and innovative

    • Cost of labour will increase

    •  This may force some businesses to move out of these countries to cheaper locations

    •  The country may be forced to hire foreigners or allow more migration to boost labour force

    •  However, this may cause some tensions

    •  As locals may resent the culturally different newcomers

• Working class

  • • Will feel the strain of paying more taxes to support increasing amount of elderly

    • Singapore: 10 people supporting one person in 1997; 3 people supporting one person in 2030

    • 2030: 65 years and above will make up 18% of population

    • Government impose taxes for government services

• Services

  • • More health-care services are required for elderly who are prone to more illnesses/problems

    • Increase expenditure on services for elderly

    • Government saves less, hampering efforts to raise funds. 

• Armed forces

  • • Fewer young adults for conscription especially Singapore, decreased national security

• Economy

  • • Slow economic growth, not competitive anymore as the working population is neither vibrant nor young

Solutions: 

• Labour shortages

  • • Increase retirement age

      • People have longer lifespans (charac. of ageing pop.)

      • Healthy lifestyle -> People can remain in workforce longer

      • Increased to 62 in 1999, might increase to 67 (Singapore)

    • Incentives to draw back women into workforce

      • Home-based work, part-time work, work with flexible working arrangements, exemption of paying maid fees, etc.

    • Foreigners

      • The ones who can contribute to Singapore's aspirations can apply for P.R. and citizenship

      • could encourage immigration to

        • • counter the lack of manpower

          • Especially of skilled/talented workers to boost its economic growth

    • Factories

      • Encouraged to mechanise and automate (reduce dependancy of labour)

      • To reduce the demand for workers and to engage/retain older employees

• Care for elderly

  • • Japan

      • People > 40 years have to contribute to a central fund monthly

      • When they are 65 years, they only need to pay 10% for long term nursing care

    • Singapore

      • Working class have to contribute monthly to Central Providence Fund (CPF) Board

      • Contributions (excluding minimum retirement sum which must remain till retirement) can only be withdrawn at age 55

    • Charitable organisations

      • Raise money for elderly

• Encourage participation 

  • • To ensure that elderly do not degenerate mentally or physically

    • Japan

      • Elderly's Home can be constructed next to child-care

      • Involve Elderly with children and facilitate interaction

      • Job centres can be set up to help elderly find jobs

    • Singapore

      • Day-care facilities and Elderly's Home have already been combined. 

      • Dances by National Trade Union Congress Club (NTUCC)

• Elderly-friendly features in homes

  • • Non-slip floor tiles

    • Support handlebars

    • Sliding doors (easier to use)

    • Ramps (easier movement using wheelchair)

    • Emergency buttons

• Attractive policies to boost birth rates should be given to young couples

  • • Eg education and housing allowance, tax incentives

    •  This would boost the population in the long term.

• Encourage healthy lifestyle/living to ensure the population is able self-sustain and reduce medical attention