In some countries, birth rates are falling and experts say that by 2050 these countries will have far more adults aged 65 and over than children under 15. What problem might this cause in the future? Can anything be done to solve this issue?

It is predicted that, by 2050, the percentage of the

population

aged 65 or older will have risen significantly in some places.

This

is likely to cause problems for the countries concerned, and finding a solution will not be easy. There are several problems caused by an ageing

population

.

Firstly

, as most people retire in their 60s,

this

means that fewer people will be working, and

therefore

fewer people will be paying income tax. With insufficient

taxes

to draw on, the governments of these countries will struggle to provide essential services unless they increase

taxes

significantly. Because of

this

, the biggest impact is likely to be felt by the shrinking proportion of the

population

,

that is

, those aged 15 and younger. When they become adults, they will need to work much harder to support the growing number of elderly

as well as

paying

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pay

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higher

taxes

. In fact, many may decide to leave these countries altogether, which is likely to exacerbate the problem and increase the decline.

Thus

, the consequences of an ageing

population

will be

far reaching

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far-reaching

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. When it comes to finding a solution, changes need to be made now. To increase the number of children being born, financial incentives could be offered to families to encourage them to have more children or to move to the area, thereby creating more balance within the

population

. Until

this

happens, the retirement age could be raised, which would provide more

taxes

for longer and so postpone many of these issues.

However

, in order for

this

plan to work, governments are

also

going to have to make sure that

this

older generation remains healthy and fit enough to continue working. Clearly, everyone will need to make changes to achieve an effective solution. In conclusion, when a

population

ages the effects are felt by everyone and the situation worsens if nothing is done about it. In my view, there are several possible solutions, but these involve acting quickly in the present.