When someone argues that the world’s population is getting older, a few will contradict the statement. They might say that Millennials (those born between 1980 and the mid-90s) outnumber the older generation. In certain ways, they’re right. A report from 2010 states that Millennial workers comprised 25 percent of the world population.
2. When someone argues that the world’s population is getting older, a few
will contradict the statement. They might say that Millennials (those born
between 1980 and the mid-90s) outnumber the older generation. In
certain ways, they’re right. A report from 2010 states that Millennial
workers comprised 25 percent of the world population.
Experts also estimate that these 21- to 36-year-olds are the largest
generation in the world. There’s a projected 1.8 billion of them out of the 7
billion people worldwide. In the U.S. alone, there are 92 million Millennials
out of the 307 million total number of Americans. These numbers give
credence to arguments that the world’s population is quite young. But,
they only tell one side of the story—as other statistics prove that the global
populace is indeed aging.
3. The Real Deal
Very low birth rates have been recorded even in developed countries, along with a
projected increase in the 65 and older demographic. Experts predict that by 2050, the
number of people over 65 years old will be two and a half times that of children under
4 years old. Compared to the situation 66 years ago, this a complete reversal.
A massive disparity between the old and the young demographic existed in 1950.
There were 335 million children under 4 years old, compared to only 131 million over
65 years. Several decades later, the United Nations Population Division saw the gap
narrow extremely. By mid-2010, 642 million people comprised the 0-4 age bracket,
compared to 523 million in the 65 and up range.
In the far future, numbers can further swell. There are about 901 million people aged
60 and older today. Experts expect this number to reach 11.2 billion by 2100. Of that
group, at least 3.2 billion will be over the age of 60, according to a report by the
United Nations. As for the separation between the old and young demographic, current
guesses put them at almost the same level: 655 million for the 0-4 age bracket, and
615 million for the 65 and older.
4. How Can the World Prepare?
John Wilmoth of the United Nations Population Division maintains a positive
outlook. According to him, an aging population is a sign of success. People live up
to much older ages, while also maintaining a much lower mortality and fertility
rate compared to past numbers. What this means is that the world is keeping
itself within acceptable bounds in terms of keeping the populace alive and well for
much longer.
Experts also claim that the shift will happen slowly, as long as fertility rates don’t
drop to dangerously low levels. Encouraging migration is one proposed solution to
augment a country’s younger population. The key here is keeping a balance—it’s
all there is.
Sources:
http://www.legacyretire.com/
http://millennialweek.com/MILL-FactSheet_52914_v2.pdf
https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dbsr/world-population-aging
