Task 2 Ageing population
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
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?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Answer (revised)
The issue of ageing population has become a social phenomenon and has sparked widespread debate about whether it is beneficial. In my opinion, this issue should be viewed from both short-term and long-term perspectives. While there are some temporary benefits brought by the ageing population, I am convinced that the long-term consequences are largely negative.
It is true that fueling social development is the major benefit of an ageing population. The dramatic increase of elderly people stimulate the medical industry, in which seniors could receive nursing and healthcare services of better quality. In addition, the authorities are forced to improve the accessibility of fundamental infrastructure such as transportation and barrier-free facilities. Moreover, as more people retire, job vacancies are getting increasingly available, which can ease the current employment pressure. However, these concepts are only based on the short-term perspective, considering the long-term respect, the situation may change.
From a long-term perspective, the major problem of an ageing society is the decline in population. We have to accept that population ageing is not because the growth of old generation but the descent of young generation, which means the scale of total population will shrink eventually. Therefore, it shares the same issue from population decreasing, such as workforce shortage, financial pressure and medical challenges. For instance, the increase in the number of the elderly people will enlarge the demand for social benefits and healthcare budgets, which will drain the national resources, leading to long-term economic instability.
To sum up, population ageing is indeed a double-edged sword. Although it generates some short-term benefits in some extents, the long-term disadvantage are far more significant. Therefore, I still claim that the drawbacks of an ageing population outweigh its advantages overall.