Changing population

• In 2001, the population was 59 million

  In 2015 it was 65 million
• population increases every year since 2001, but growth rate has slowed down
• in 2001, the highest number of people were 30-39 years old

  • High birth rates in 1960s
• 2015: highest number of people were 40-49 as the 1960s generation got older
• between 2001 and 2015, the number of people aged 20-29 increased due to increasing numbers of young migrants
• the demographic transition model (dmt) shows how a country’s population is likely to change as it develops, based on birth and death rates
• stage 1:

  • high birth and death rates
  • low and steady population
• as a country develops and healthcare improves, death rate falls and population grows

  better education and increased access to contraception means that birth rates falls
• UK is in Stage 4

  • low birth rate
  • low death rates increasing population
  • high steady population
  • entered in 1950
• Half of the UK population growth is natural increase, other half is migration
• in 2015, over 600,000 people moved to the UK and 300,000 people moved away
• the majority of migrants move to London and the SE
• immigrants account for 27% of babies born
• London has a young and ethnically diverse population
• London population

  2001 = 7.2 million

  2005 = 8.5 million

  growing faster than anywhere else in the Uk
• 13% of people in the UK were born overseas
• in 10 years, London white British population decreased from 60% to 45%

  more white non British, Asian and black people
• The UK has an ageing population

  In the UK, 18% of people are over 65, and this is increasing because

  1. Low birth rates as couples have having fewer children
  2. People living longer due to better medical care and healthier lifestyles
• the number of older people varies around the UK

  • lower in big cities — people often live in cities to be closer to their jobs, so a higher proportion of the population is of working age
  • higher in coastal areas as people move here when they retire
• social effects of an ageing population

  1. healthcare services under pressure
  2. some people act as unpaid carers for older family members, so they have less leisure time and more stress
  3. many retired people do voluntary work
• economic effect of ageing population

  1. taxes rise to pay for healthcare and pensions
  2. older people who dont work pay less tax, so their economic contribution decreases
  3. older people can look after grandchildren, and parents can work
  4. have high disposable income, boosting economy
• responses the the ageing population

  1. increase taxes for medical care
  2. government is rising the age at which people can claim a pension — people stay in work longer, so hey contribute to taxes and pensions for longer
  3. government encouraging people to save more money for retirement