effects of changes in fertility

• effects of changes in fertility

  -the family

  -the dependency ratio

  -public services & policies
• the family - fertility changes

  -smaller families = women more likely to be free to go out and work

  -dual earner couple

  -better off couples = have larger family and afford childcare, allowing to both work full time
• what’s dependency ratio?


  -relationship between the size of working or productive part of population & size of non-working/dependent part of the population
• the dependency ratio - effects of changes in fertility

  -earning, savings & taxes of working population must support dependent population

  -children make up large part of dependent population

  -fall in number of children reduces the ‘burden of dependency’ on working population
• the dependency ratio in long term

  -fewer babies being born will mean fewer young adults & smaller working population

  -burden of dependency may begin to increase again
• public services & policies - effects of changes in fertility

  -lower birth rate has consequences for public services

  -fewer schools & maternity & child health services may be needed

  -affects cost of maternity & paternity leave & types of housing that need to be built

  -remember that many of these are political decisions
• an ageing population > public services & policies 


  -one effect of women having fewer babies is that average age of population is rising

  -more old people relative to young