the ageing population

• The average age of the UK population is rising. In 1971, it stood at 40.4. By 2020, it stood at 40.4. By 2037, it is expected to reach 42.8. There are fewer young people and more older people. The number aged 65 or over equalled the number of under-15s for the first time ever in 2014.
• Age pyramids

  • They show how older age groups are growing as a proportion of the population, while younger age groups are shrinking. The 'traditional age pyramid' is disappearing and being replaced by more or less equal-sized 'blocks' representing different age groups.
• By 2041 there will be as many 78 year olds as five year olds
• Ageing of the population

  Caused by: increasing life expectancy, declining infant mortality, declining fertility
• Older people consume a larger proportion of services such as health and social care than other age groups. This is particularly true of the 'old old' (usually defined as 75 and over) as against the 'young old' (65-74).
• An ageing population may also mean changes to policies and provision of housing, transport or other services
• The number of pensioners living alone has increased and one-person pensioner households now account for about 15% or one in seven of all households. Most of these are female, both because women generally live longer than men, and because they are usually younger than their husbands.
• Among the over-75s, there are twice as many women as men. This has been described as the "feminisation of later life".
• Dependency ratio

  The ratio of non-working people (young and old) to working-age people. As the number of retired people rises, this increases the dependency ratio and the burden on the working population.
• In 2022, there were 3.5 people of working age for every one pensioner. This ratio is predicted to fall to 2.7 to one by 2041.
• It would be wrong to assume that 'old' necessarily equals 'economically dependent'. The age at which men and women can draw their state pension has been rising.
• While an increase in the number of old people raises the dependency ratio, in an ageing population this is offset by a declining number of dependent children.
• Ageism

  The negative and unequal treatment of people on the basis of their age
• Ageism towards older people shows in many ways such as discrimination in employment and poor treatment in health care.
• Much of the discourse around old age and ageing has been constructed as a problem - for example in terms of the cost of pensions or health care for the elderly.
• Structured dependency

  The old are largely excluded from paid work, leaving them economically dependent on families or the state in modern society
• From a Marxist perspective, the old are of no use to capitalism because they are no longer productive. As a result, the state is unwilling to support them adequately and so the family, especially female relatives, often has to take responsibility for their care.
• In modern society, life is structured into a fixed series of stages, such as childhood, youth and so on. Age becomes important in role allocation, creating fixed life stages and age-related identities, such as worker or pensioner. The old are thus excluded from a role in the labour force and inside dependent and powerless.
• Postmodern society

  The fixed, orderly stages of the life course have broken down. Trends such as children dressing in adult styles, later marriage and early retirement all begin to blur the boundaries between the life stages. This gives individuals a greater choice of lifestyle, whatever their age.
• Unlike in modern society, consumption, not production, becomes the key to our identities. We can now define ourselves by what we consume. This means we can choose a lifestyle and identity regardless of age: our age no longer determines who we are or how we live.
• As a result, the old become a market for a vast range of 'body maintenance' or 'rejuvenation' goods and services through which they can create their identities. These include cosmetic surgery, exercise equipment, gym membership, and anti-ageing products.
• Ageism

  The negative stereotyping of people on the basis of their age
• Ageism shows itself in many ways, such as discrimination in employment and unequal treatment
• Much of the discourse (thinking) about old age and ageing sees it as a 'problem' - for example in terms of health care for the old
• Ageism is the result of the old being largely excluded from modern society, and being economically dependent on the young
• In modern society, our identity and status are defined by our role in production
• Compulsory retirement creates a stigmatised identity for the old
• From a Marxist perspective, ageism is useful to capitalism because it creates a dependent class of the old
• As a result, the state is unable to adequately support the old, and the family has to take responsibility
• The life course has become structured into a fixed series of stages - childhood, adulthood, old age, and so on
• Age becomes a basis for categorising people and creating fixed life stages and identities, such as worker or pensioner
• In today's postmodern society, the orderly stages of the life course have broken down
• Media images now portray more positive aspects of the lifestyles of the elderly
• The emphasis on surface features means the body becomes a canvas on which we can write identities, and anti-ageing products enable the old to write different identities
• Inequalities such as class and gender remain important in old age, and are related to the individual's previous occupational position
• The middle class have better occupational pensions and greater savings, while poorer old people have a shorter life expectancy and suffer more infirmity
• Women's lower earnings and career breaks as carers mean lower pensions, and they are also subject to sexist as well as ageist stereotyping
• Migration is another factor that can shape the experience of old age in modern society
• Families and households play a major part in shaping the experience of old age, often restricting the freedom of the elderly to choose an identity
• Age Concern found more people (29%) reported suffering age discrimination than any other form