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Challenges for Ireland (and Europe) “Massive” As Elderly Takeover: The Irish... : 28th Jan 10
An editorial in The Irish Times says “more than one-fifth of the world’s population (22 per cent) will be over 60 years of age by 2050, double the current proportion, with the elderly overtaking the world’s population of children five years earlier”.
The newspaper was referring to a new report from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Population Ageing 2009, that says the numbers of elderly are expanding worldwide at an annual rate of 2.6 per cent, three times the rate of the overall population.
These trends are well-known, but the figures are stark reminders of the need for radical thinking about the whole range of public policy issues involved, from economic growth and jobs to health, pensions and housing. Big changes might also be coming down the tracks politically and culturally. Courtesy of the ageing of baby boomers and gradually improving health standards and longevity, the number of people over 60 surpassed 700 million worldwide last year and is projected to reach two billion by 2050.
Plus, in most countries the over-80 population is growing faster than any other age group and will keep growing rapidly till at least 2050, foretelling “a growing demand for long-term care”, the report’s authors commented. In Ireland, the challenges are just as massive.
The proportion of our over-65s will surge by 59 per cent between 2007 and 2021, and by 142 per cent more by 2061, according to the Government’s 2007 Green Paper on Pensions. “There are hard choices ahead”, warned the editorial. In the following day’s edition of The Irish Times, correspondent Dermot Kirwan thanked the editor for “highlighting the fact that Ireland has one of the fastest-growing elderly populations in Europe”.
But he noted, “In 50 years’ time, there will be two people of working age to support one pensioner. No combination of State agencies will be able to cope with this demographic time bomb”.
In another letter to the editor, Peter Kavanagh of Active Retirement Ireland argued that “What your Editorial fails to point out is that, along with an increase in over-65s, fertility rates will decrease worldwide, leading not just to a fall in education spending, but also to a decrease in other social welfare costs such as children’s allowance”.
F& L Comment: The Irish Times also failed to highlight how much abortion contributes to the demographic time bomb. Abortionists kill some 42 million unborn babies worldwide every year, around 115,000 every day! Countries such as Russia are now recognising the link between abortion and falling population numbers and are making robust efforts to change the trend.
The idea that a falling birthrate will lead to “savings” that can subsidise the care of the elderly is absurd. The Irish Times. January 13/14. F& L. January 14.
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