Band 6+: 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?

With the enhancement in technology as well as many aspects of people’s lives, the living expectancy is now much extended than before. Many people argue that the old population might be a problem, while there are other opinions that elderly people can influence society positively. I am of the opinion that the aging population might be a burden to the government.

Talking about advantages, an aging population might bring experience and wisdom to the community. People who have gone through half of their lives have more experience than ever to pass over to their descendants. Hence, the young people will be wiser in making decisions or can be helped to foresee the risks in what they are doing. Secondly, an aged and experienced workforce might be much more productive in a working environment where professional and long-term experience is needed. For example, people who work for longer years in jobs like chef or customer service have the skills and experience to deliver perfect service without any mistakes.

Another benefit of the aging population is that it might help to develop many scientific research targeted elder people and help to enhance the lives for this group of people.

However, I believe the disadvantage is much more noticeable and has negative impacts on society overall. Firstly, the aging population is a burden for society, elderly people, though with experience, do not have enough physical condition to continue working. A huge amount of retired people require an enormous amount of retirement financial support, and therefore, might become a problem if there is not enough money. Likewise, an aging population means there are fewer and fewer young people, so there will not be enough workforce for the economy to operate properly and as a result a collapse of one country’s economy. This is the reason why many countries such as Japan and Korea, are positively engaging in raising people’s birth rate with many rewards in relocation, financial and educational support for both parents and children. Furthermore, there are also programs to hire young workers from developing countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, in an effort to deal with the consequences of the aging population.

In conclusion, whereas elderly people can bring much wisdom and experience to the overall community, the consequences of the aging population on a country’s economy cannot be denied. And by that, I believe the disadvantages of an aging population outweigh the advantages.