In many countries, people are now living longer than ever before. Some people say an ageing population creates problems for governments. Other people think there are benefits if society has more elderly people. To what extent do the advantages of having an ageing population outweigh the disadvantages?

In the twenty-first century, many

countries

are for the first time experiencing a phenomenon known as a demographic time bomb.

This

means that they have an ageing

population

and are facing a potential economic crisis

as a result

.

This

essay will explore the situation, arguing that there are both major benefits and drawbacks, but that perhaps the benefits are more substantial. First of all, it is important to note that

this

is predominantly viewed as a negative trend.

Countries

are understandably worried about the situation because, once their demographic composition reaches a certain point, they will have vast numbers of retired people and hardly any young people to work. Without enough workers, the economy will struggle, and of

course

Add a comma

,course

show examples

there will

also

be a shortage of tax revenue and a vast uptick in the amount spent on healthcare

due to

the cost of supporting an elderly

population

. For these reasons and more, many

countries

are determined to avoid the demographic time bomb at all costs.

However

, whilst

this

does sound bad, it is worth noting that there are a few positives. For one thing, the world is grossly overpopulated and in places

such

as Asia the

population

has reached quite unsustainable levels, with the result being the complete devastation of the environment. After a few decades of demographic change, the

population

should start to decline, which will allow people to live in less crowded places and to return some towns and cities to nature.

In addition

, when

countries

cannot find enough workers, they are forced to allow more immigrants.

This

can help societies to become more multicultural, and again looking at Asia, these notoriously homogenous societies can

finally

begin to accept outsiders. One example is Japan, which has already reached

this

point and is transforming into a more open and tolerant society by welcoming immigrants to solve

this

problem. In conclusion, there are both positives and negatives to the issue of ageing populations. Whilst it will cause economic hardship, it may lead to a brighter future in terms of a less crowded and more multicultural world, which arguably makes

this

an

overall

positive trend.