In many
countries the proportion of older people is steadily increasing. Some think
this is good, while others believe this is a problem for a country. Discuss
both views and give your own opinion.
 |
| Ielts Essay Aged population proportion |
In recent years as the technology fuelled
medical care has facilitated longevity, many countries across the globe are
witnessing a demographic shift leaning in favor of elderly people. This has intrigued
several social scientists, as they set out to unravel the associated benefits
and drawbacks of such a trend.
It will be not be very hard to enumerate the brighter
side of this phenomenon: an increasing proportion of aged people in the society
means more and more people with enhanced and seasoned expertise. Such people
have spent a life working in their realms and are well-entrenched with the knowledge of their realms. These people even after retiring from their jobs have been
contributing to the society by not only working for much less money but also
passing down their knowhow to the younger generation.
Notwithstanding the meager benefits accrued
by the society, a higher ratio of elderly population has become a nightmare of
sorts for the economies, a cause of fiscal strain - even the rich nations are
feeling the brunt, since the governments of such countries must allocate higher
financial outlay for health care and old-age support services of the senior
citizens; thus causing a steep rise in the public spending. It predisposes
higher tax burdens on the young tax payers.
Moreover, higher proportion of elderly
individuals in a society means a certain slow down of the economy in the long
run. The skills pools of such countries face a structured deficit of trained
and able bodied manpower that eventually casts an evil shadow on the economic
progress; thereby putting the very future of a country in a grave danger.
Hence, I personally feel, higher percentage
of aged individuals in the society is undoubtedly a sign of problems to be
encountered in future. Ways should be found to arrest the trend of fast dwindling
ratio of younger population, or this may threaten the future of the society, as
well as the economies.
