The future of an ageing population 1 A grandmother with her grandson in the Philippines There are two current trends in world population . Population is growing at a slower rate than in the 20th centur y and it is also ageing. An ageing population means that the number of people aged 65 or over is increasing. This is a result of higher life expectancy and a lower number of births than ever before. This ageing threatens economic progress and the social welfare we are accustomed to. The working population finances the state's social expenditure through the taxes that they pay. However, the working population has to support a growing number of retired people. The social expenditure needed to cover the needs of the elderly population is drastically increasing. L E T ' S G E T S TA R T E D How has the average size of Spanish families changed? Why do you think this is? By how much has the number of women in the labour market increased since 1960? Do you think this is significant? Why do you think life expectancy has increased? What circumstances are necessary for social welfare to function? L E A R N I N G S I T UAT I O N 26
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