The Ageing Population

Here in Germany, people live longer and have fewer children than before. As a result, the share of elderly people in the total population rises. A society ages because of greater longevity, people had a healthy life styles in terms of improved nutrition, hygiene, and a growing emphasis on physical and mental exercise. There's also a decline in the fertitility rates because couples choose to have few children because of their expensive basic needs.

Before, children were important means of facilitating household work – especially when their parents grew old – and thus functioned as a sort of old-age insurance. Other reasons include life-long learning and increased educational possibilities that certainly played a part in the trend towards later marriage and consequently less children. Higher ages at marriage are also due to changing values in society, namely a greater social acceptance of cohabitation prior to marriage.

There is a direct effect on Germany’s social security system due to shifting relative weights of different age groups in society. Working life will also change in the long term due to shortages of young workers on the labour market. Today, about 70 percent of the people in need for care are hosted by their families. However, family care has its limits, which is due to a shrinking portion of young people in society.