What impact do lots of

young people or lots of old

people have on a country?

Dependency ratio

• The dependency ration is a relationship between those who are and are not working in an area (usually a country). The active population are usually those between the ages of 15-65, even if they are not employed, people in this category are called the economically active. Those aged under 15 and over 65 are the economically inactive and are called dependants.

P13 in your booklets

Dependency ratio

• Work it out for the following 2 countries (p14 in your booklets);

• Sweden– Under 15 = 18% of population – Over 65 = 20% of population – 15-65 = 62% of population

• Mexico – Under 15 = 44% of population – Over 65 = 48% of population – 15-65 = 8% of population

Youthful population

• This is when there is a very high percentage of people under the age of 15.

• What strain may this put on that country? • Turn to p141 in Evolving

Planet

The Gambia Youthful population case study

• Turn to p15 in your booklets

Problems of a youthful population

• Pressure on housing – not enough housing, people living in slums. This is very common around the big cities (New Delhi), where millions of people live in shanty towns with no running water, roads, sewage of any kind.

• Pressure on schooling – illiterate population. India’s literacy rate is 60%, Cambodia’s literacy rate is 69%

• Pressure on food supplies - famine, food distribution difficulties. Natural disasters accentuate this problem e.g. droughts.

• Pressure on health services – a growth in diseases being spread around and not being dealt with adequately to stop the spread.

Ageing Populations

Describe this areas population structure?

• Where in the UK might this be?

• Eastbourne (retirement mecca on south cost!)

• If you worked for the council in this area what problems may this structure provide you with?

Ageing / Greying Population

• This is when a country has a large number of people over the age of 65 in their country.

• What are the impacts on the country? • Listen to the radio 4 article

on the at the very bottom of this page on ageing population

Two main problems

• Health care– Provide more health care e.g. retirement homes,

hospital beds, more undertakers, etc. – Skilled health care workers, e.g. nurses, doctors,

etc.

• Pensions– 3 solutions for government;

• Increase tax – not popular with voters• Raise retirement age – not popular with voters• Abolish state pensions – not popular with voters

Case study: Italy's Ageing Population

• Read the newspaper article from the booklet and then answer the questions on the article.

Your turn

• Complete the table on the problems of youthful and ageing populations on p17 in your booklets.