Population Structure Trends

Dependency Ratio

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/d/5/d/d5d10c0661372da9abafe8b4b010479d.png)

Shows what proportion of the population depend on the working age people
High dependency ratio - fewer people of working age are paying taxes and larger numbers of people who need looking after by the state e.g. UK

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Increased National Spending: hospitals, nursing homes, state pensions, social security
Increased Tax Burden: smaller working population, fewer people paying taxes
Later Retirement: decline in numbers of traditional working age, increased levels of healthy 60-70 year olds
Growth in 'Grey Power': increased numbers of active elderly will find their political feet and exert and increasing influence on decision making
Career Stagnation: delayed retirment means young workers dont get promoted
Employment Changes: a need for health and nurse careers
Internal Migration: retired population traditionally move out of cites to rural areas
Increased Reliance on Families: strain on welfare state lead to a reduction in provisions so elderly get dumped on relatives
Increased Reliance on Personal Financial Provisions and Decreased Standard of Living Among the Poorest of the Elderly: reduction in state provisions will force people to make their own arrangments - can not afford will be in poverty

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Continued Population Increase in the Immediate Future: number of people of fertile age make reduction in population impossible
Possible Imposition of Severe Population Restriction: governments panic about population exhausting resources
Pressure on Government Expenditure: education provisions stretched, increased class sizes, higher proportion of children having little or no education - circle high birth rate no education
Children Required to Work: lack of education makes it an economic necessity - poor children pay own way
Internal and External Migration: large numbers of young migrate to areas of prosperity
Increased Unrest and Instability: large numbers of males in cities increase crime

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decrease in number of males in secondary school is likely to urbanisation in country
decreasing size of gap between men and women good news for fertility
50% of Nigerians are under 20 years old
working population is 30% of total population
dependency ration of 233%
increase number and proportion of the 10-24 ages
significant changes in secondary school enrolment: 1990 42% male, 14% female 1996 32% male, 27% female
280 current population of the entire West Africa sub region
Prediction: Nigerians population would jump from 115 million (now) to 280 million (2015)

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