Comparison of the Population Aging in the United States in 9 Years


Visualization
Fig #1: Change of Population Aging ( 65 and Over) from 2011-2020,  Social Explorer

Introduction

Over the past hundred years, the population of the Earth has increased several times, and the trend toward population growth does not stop. In turn, this creates new working conditions, health care, nutrition, public rights, and freedoms. It would seem that the population of the United States and throughout the world is steadily increasing. But is it really so? Are there microwaves within which there is a decrease in the total population or only an increase? Moreover, what is population aging, and how does it relate to the US? In this lab I try to analyze the available data on the total size and age of the population of the United States of America to answer these questions correctly.

Materials

Dataset: Social Explorer

Tool:  Datawrapper

Fig #2: Population Aging ( 65 and Over) in different years

Methods

Social Explorer has created a data map for its users to quickly compare the different datas. The United States is at the initial stage of fundamental changes in the structure of its population. In virtually every state, the median age of the population has risen (Fig #1). This aging of the population is caused by the decline in the birth rate that followed the baby boomer generation and the increase in life expectancy, which was reflected in the age structure of the population. Decreasing fertility, among other things, slows the growth of the labor force. An analysis of indicators such as the share of the labor force in the general structure of the population and labor productivity shows that the current level of per capita consumption in the United States cannot be maintained in the long term. Moreover, in addition to general aging, it is also accelerating due to falling birth rates, which are worth considering in more detail. Today, the growth of the US population continues (Fig #2), but its pace is incomparable to the beginning of the twentieth century, and the role of the birth rate is steadily declining.

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/bmu3k/6/
Fig #3

However, the rate of aging is also growing (Fig #3). The pace and cumulative growth of the people are largely influenced by mortality. As the quality of life improves, the mortality rate usually decreases. This is what happened in the USA. Throughout the twentieth century. There was a more or less stable decline, which led to the fact that the average life expectancy also increased due to a decrease in child and infant mortality. However, despite the increase in the rate of aging, the decline in mortality has partly offset the decline in the birth rate, and the overall decline in population growth is not as significant as one might expect.

Results and Reflection

In general, demographic changes are not such a massive problem in recent years as, for example, the growth of racial and ethnic intolerance, the economic difficulties the millennials faced, and other problems in the United States. But it is precisely in the context of a rapidly changing demographic situation that these problems become more prominent, the reaction of society to them is more acute, and the growing tension is more pronounced. That is, population aging is not the main problem in the US, but rather is the key to solving others and a feature that needs to be turned into an advantage. A revision of the policy aimed at In general, demographic changes are not such a massive problem in recent years as, for example, the growth of racial and ethnic intolerance, the economic difficulties the millennials faced, and other problems in the United States. But it is precisely in the context of a rapidly changing demographic situation that these problems become more prominent, the reaction of society to them is more acute, and the growing tension is more pronounced. That is, population aging is not the main problem in the US, but rather is the key to solving others and a feature that needs to be turned into an advantage. A revision of the policy aimed at solving population problems is required. One can only hope that the US authorities understand the need for it.