Life Expectancy and Aging Population

Class, Region, Gender, Impacts and advantages and disadvantages

Life expectancy

How long on average people who are born in a certain year can be expected to live.

Aging population

A shift in the distribution of a country’s population towards older ages.

Live expectancy For those born in 1900 and 2013

• 1900:

  • M - 50

  • F - 57

• 2013:

  • M - 90.7

  • F - 94

How does class affect live expectancy

• A higher class (UC) can afford private health care.

• WC men who are in unskilled jobs are 3x as likely to die before they’er 65 compared with men in managerial jobs.

How does Gender affect life expectancy

On average girls live longer for boys

This gap is changing due to more women being employed (changes in life style)

How does region affect life expectancy

Walker (2011):

those, living in the poorest areas of England die on average 7 years earlier than those in the richest areas.

What was life expectancy in 1800s compared to now

1800:

• 39

2024:

• 82 years

what is the impact of an aging population

• public services - older people will use these services more for example the NHS

• One-Person Pensioner households - more pensioners will live alone (12.5% of households are one-person pensioners).

• Dependency Ratio:

  • 2015 - 3.2 people of working age for every 1 pensioner

  • 2033 - 2.8 people of working age for every 1 pensioner.

  • The age people can draw their pension is rising in 2020 people would have to be 66 to access the state pension while in 2026 is 67.

Affect of aging population on poverty

+&-

+More elderly people volunteer for charities to help the poor.

-Poor people help pay for pensioner’s pensions

Affect of aging population on crime

-

-More older people fall for online scams

Affect of aging population on family stress

-&+

-Families need to put their elderly parents or grandparents in good nursing homes (more stress).

+Elderly parents and grandparents can help families with money (less stress).

Affects of an aging population on pension

-

-Dependency ratio is high so the labour force is paying more to support these elderly (through pensions).

Affects of an aging population on housing

-

More One-person pensioners less young couples able to get a house of their own.

Affects of the aging population on the economy

-

-Growth of gross domestic product slow down

Affects of an aging population on family support

+

+Elderly can provide childcare for children (closer relationships with grandparents and grandchildren).

-Family need to look after their grandparents or parents (supporting them more).

Affects of an aging population on health and disability

-

-Growing risk of disease and death

-More elderly people using the NHS

Affects of an aging population on a labour force

-Pay more to support the elderly

-Less need for schools and teachers

Affects of an aging population on women

+

+Provide childcare which is thought to be a women’s job

Affects of an aging population on Social Cohesion

+

+Elderly can bring families more together and help others

+Elderly volunteer for charities

Affects of an aging population on dependency

-

Higher dependency ratio