Growing Ageing Population and European Policies
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Abstract
Introduction to Social change due to aged population
Increased elderly population in Europe has many factors, it took decades what is happening now. Europe’s low fertility rate, Europe’s migration from developing to developed country, high life expectancy and immigration laws. The developmental strategies of G20 countries are significantly interlinked with the economic and population development policies. The recognition of ageing population is followed by the Japan’s ageing population process which is also mentioned in most of the Eu data on comparison for the ageing population strategies. It is a visible change that social and economic developments causes higher life expectancy and better health in Europe.
The average middle age is increasing, and it is predicted about 4.5 years by 2019 to 2050 it may reach 48.2 years as European middle age. In the most developed parts of the world, elderly population was discussed long ago, and serious steps were taken for global improvements for older people. As the life expectancy increases dependency increases that creates pressure to fulfil the needs of elderly for health, socially, and economically. Increasing number of elderly populations, is actual rise in social, cultural, and economic responsibilities for welfare systems, health care systems and individuals. More elderly people, more reliance needed number of old age homes, elderly rehabilitation centers and Palliative care centers are increased.
Population ageing is not a sudden change in population, but it took decades to consider about the population phenomenon. The European social change has major cause of ageing population that may has dark impact to the future perspective. In current situation birth rate is low, mortality rate is also low and life expectancy is high which is creating a lot pressure on the economic growth and to run the economic cycle the labour force is insufficient, health care systems are updating each year since COVID pandemic and system failure was visible in many OECD countries as well in such condition there is a lot more pressure on the women to balance birth ratio at the same time women is considered as “Sandwich Generation” by some of the European researchers, women cares for the both younger and the older generation nowadays.
Such ageing population determinants push the policy makers to design such policies and laws to combat this situation to secure future generations. Some of the EU policies to promote Active ageing and solidarity between generations, Silver Economy project to provide elderly jobs to decrease dependency ratio and Healthy ageing programs are running but still there is long way to show up positive results if migration policies will not be softened at certain points to keep achieving sustainable development goals in Europe.