In the future, there will be a higher proportion of older people than young people in many countries. Is it a positive or negative development?

In recent decades, the

population

has been ageing steadily. Whereas senior citizens are well respected due to their experiences and knowledge, the growth in the elderly

population

can cause negative impacts on the development of

society

. In the

next

few decades, a large number of middle-aged people will be retired.

This

means that they no longer contribute to the income of the

society

, resulting in a decrease in the GDP of the country.

Moreover

, old people leaving the workforce can lead to a labour shortage which put a heavily negative effect on the growth of the economy and

society

.

For example

, a factory cannot fulfil its orders on time, or a state is unable to open more schools due to the lack of workers and teachers.

Hence

, it is hard to develop a country without young citizens.

Also

, a high rate of older people can be a burden for the community and family. As the proportion of the elderly

population

increases, so will the demand for healthcare services, as well as pension collections, which can be a challenge for the government to provide adequate resources for older adults.

Furthermore

, youngsters sometimes have to give up their work or pay a considerable amount of money to hire a caregiver in order to take care of their elder family members.

This

can put a strain on the finance of the family. To sum up,

although

an ageing

population

is often the sign of a healthy

society

, countries have to face several challenges.

Therefore

,

this

could be a negative development in the long term.