1.3 Population structure

Question 1

List the problems of an aging population.

Answer 1

• Shortage of workers -> less tax payers, the government receives less money
• Increase in pressure in hospitals
• More pensions for the government to pay

Question 2

List the solutions of an aging population.

Answer 2

• Increase the retirement age
• Increase the amount of tax charged to economically active
• Introduce private healthcare
• Pro-natalist policy so that birth rates and the number of young people increases

Question 3

Define ‘aging population’ and ‘young population’.

Answer 3

• Aging population: when the proportion of old dependants is increasing but birth rates start to fall.
• Young population: when there are too many or too few young dependants.

Question 4

List the problems of a population with a low number of young dependants.

Answer 4

• Less consumers and tax payers in the future
• Closure of child related services
• Increase in the age of the population
• Cause population decline

Question 5

List the solutions to a population with a low number of young dependants.

Answer 5

• A pro-natalist policy to increase birth rates.

- Subsidised childcare and education to encourage families to have more than 1 child

Question 6

List the problems of a population with a high number of young dependants.

Answer 6

• Increase in childcare services
• Increase the dependancy ratio
• Government has to pay for schools and healthcare services

Question 7

List the solutions of a population with a high number of young dependants.

Answer 7

• Anti-natalist policy (One Child Policy)
• Increase family planning
• Ensure that females are educated and emancipated

Question 8

What is a ‘population pyramid’?

Answer 8

Population Pyramid: A population pyramid shows the age and sex structure of the country. It is a type of graph that is divided into males and females and then age groups.

Question 9

Name a country with a high dependent population + causes + effects + solutions.

Answer 9

The Gambia (Africa)

• A young population which has placed big demands on the resources of the country
• Religious leaders were against the use of contraception
• Children were viewed as an economic asset with their help
• High infant and maternal mortality

Effects

• Many parents fail to provide basic housing for their families
• Huge overcrowding -> a lack of sanitation
• Rates of unemployment and underemployment are high
• Government has insufficient financial resources for education and health -> general facilities are poor
• Trees being chopped down for firewood -> desertification

Solutions:

• Government introduced a family planning campaign to deliver contraceptives and advice to rural areas
• A change in male attitudes to family size and contraception