Topic:  There is an increasing trend of old people living longer in many countries around the world. Do you think this has a positive or a negative effect on the population as a whole? (India 17th Apr 2021).

It is being observed in many countries nowadays that mortality rates among the aged are decreasing. I opine that this has a negative effect on the population of a country because the country becomes less productive and their presence adds to the ever-increasing population of the country thereby increasing the facilities the government has to provide for them.

To initiate, modern medicine has resulted in longevity and the proportion of senior citizens are on the rise in several nations. Majority of them are retired as the retirement age is generally 60 or 65 years. Post retirement, they prefer to engage in leisure activities, resulting in a shortage of manpower if the ratio of employable youth is lower. This affects the country’s productivity, often forcing them to import manpower from other countries. For example, around 23 to 28 percent of the population of countries like Italy and Japan comprises of senior citizens, many of whom are unable to work.

Furthermore,it’s a Catch 22 situation in countries like India where birth rates are on the rise and mortality rates are declining, resulting in overpopulation. This puts pressure on the government to satisfy basic needs of water, shelter, and food. Governments must also provide facilities for the aged like geriatric nursing homes, old age homes, gardens, and so on. This has a cascading effect on the population as a whole as the quality of other amenities like infrastructure many deteriorate due to fiscal constraints.

In conclusion,while it’s nice to have grandparents and great grandparents around, if they are not in sound mental and physical health, their increasing numbers burdens the general population of a country as the onus of providing additional facilities for them lies primarily on the government. (289 words)