IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic 05: The birth rate in most developed countries is predicted to fall

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

The birth rate in most developed countries is predicted to begin to fall over the next 50 years. By 2030 it is estimated that over one-third of the population in most developed countries will be aged 65 and over:

What effects will these predictions have on developed countries if they prove true? What can be done now to deal with this situation?

Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

OR

Many developed countries now have large numbers of people over the age of 65. What problems might this cause? How can the problems be solved?

Model Answer 01 :

The birth rate in most developed countries is predicted to begin to fall over the next 50 years. By 2030 it is estimated that over one-third of the population in most developed countries will be aged 65 and over. What effects will these predictions have on developed countries if they prove true? What can be done now to deal with this situation?

In modern Europe, the problem of birth rates has become very actual. As a result, many issues will arise, and the present generation of people will see a significant number of changes. It is essential to outline some notable aspects of this question, such as the rise in the number of new migrants and the ruin of the pension system, which can be compensated only by a decrease of pensions.

First of all, the population of every country is a working force, and the lack of it creates many problems for the economy. At the same time, there are several solutions to this problem that are appropriate in the world. For example, to attract people from developing countries to reside in Europe with the aim of filling the gap. Unfortunately, it is predictable that this tendency can make worse the relations on the cultural base, and this the reason why certain parts of society do not accept this idea.

Secondly, the stability of the pension system depends on one vital factor – the number of people who work and pay their taxes. The decline of the population always leads to a reduction of budget revenue and an economy in state spending. In this case, the government is obligated to make some unpopular decisions, for instance, to reduce pensions. This solution is regarded as negative. However, it is the most suitable answer in this situation.

In conclusion, it is important to make a remark here; that the decline of the population is a very negative trend which can bring some bad consequences, such as the problem with the workforce, or the crisis of the pension system. However, there are some unpleasant solutions to these problems, the reduction of pensions and changes in migration policy with the target of attracting new employees from foreign countries.

Model Answer 02 :

The predictions show that the birth rate in industrial nations will decline over the next half of the century. Estimations have reported that over 30% of technologically advanced societies will get 65 years old and over by 2030. This alarming trend leads to decreasing population, tax incomes and active labor.

Falling birth rate yields a plethora of hurdles. At first, the low rate of pregnancy among women results in declining the population of the country. Furthermore, this hitch causes the reduction of taxable incomes, so the government must spend a huge amount of budget for medical care and social services in order to support old people. Finally, the third obstacle of this condition is the plunge of active work force.

On the other hand, economic experts have suggested a host of solutions for this upheaval. The first effective solution is fortifying incentive policies for rising fertility rate among young couples. As a prime example, the government can pay a subsidy for any newborn kids. In addition, the second technique of problem solving that can reform this dilemma is expediting immigration of young skilled workers and experienced engineers from less developed countries. Nowadays, a wide spectrum of states implements this policy. As an outstanding instance, Australia has facilitated the entrance of migrants. Thus the government publishes a list of required labor in certain fields based on specific criteria annually.

In conclusion, the drop of birth rate escalates an amounting number of challenges such as shortage of labor forces, the peak of old age group and the exacerbate of social services and health-cares. These disastrous crises can be modified by executing beneficial methods like financial support of couples for raise of fertility and accelerating of immigration processes.

Model Answer 03 :

Nowadays, most people worry about over-population and living crowded cities. However, it is predicted that we will have the opposite problem by the year 2030 when one third of the population will be aged 65 or over and birth rates are predicted to decline. What effect will this have on our society?

By 2030 the percentage of the population aged 65 or older will have risen significantly, to more than 30%. This means that fewer people will be working, and therefore fewer people will be paying income tax. In the future it may be necessary for governments to increase the official retirement age to 70 or even older. When today’s 30-year-olds are in their sixties it is unlikely that they will enjoy the relaxed lifestyle that today’s older generation can expect when they give up work. Government will therefore need to make sure that this older generation is healthy and fit enough to continue working.

However I believe the biggest impact will be on the younger generation. In 2030 the younger generation will need to work much harder to support the large number of older people. If this trend continues then it is possible that our entire culture will change. For example, most marketing companies today try to target the younger generation with their products and advertisements. If the majority of the population is older then this will change and companies will begin to target the older generation instead.

So, what can be done now to prevent these problems? Firstly, I believe that governments of developed countries should find ways to encourage people to have larger families and increase the birth rate. Secondly, I believe that they should encourage migration from developing countries so that the problems of Over-crowding can be solved.

Model Answer 04 :

Birth means that Life is going on and on. In modern societies, having children has significantly decreased and they say that by 2030 elderly population in developed countries will have outnumbered the young generation. It is clear that this issue will definitely impact on these states in every aspect of their life if these forecasts come true.To start with, a decline in birth rate might lead these countries to destruction of life systems. For instance, the less young people they have, the less workforces they can imagine. Therefore, economic problems will begin to appear one by one. Moreover, they might have to receive many migrants from other countries which could have its sub-problems such as cultural threats and an increase in crime rate. Another issue is that it might be necessary for authorities to rise the official retirement age to 70 and even older in order to cover with more workforces. Even though it may look difficult at a first glance, they need to think of some solutions to prevent the upcoming events.
Governments should, firstly, encourage their individuals to have children in many ways, for example, they could reward the families who want to have a child. Secondly, young couples who are about to get married might be freed from paying a year-taxes after the wedding. Thus, there will be a lot of married couples and of course many children. Besides, developed countries can act to establish more friendly centers for migrants and their families because of not many workforces.
To put it in a nutshell, the projected population in these states will age progressively due to low birth rate. This trouble will definitely influence on the future of these societies in a large extent. As a result, some solutions such as stimulating policies for having children must be found.

Model Answer 05 :