Explain two causes of ageing populations in MEDCs

One cause of ageing populations in certain MEDCs is improved access to healthcare. Improved access to healthcare allows individuals to receive treatment more promptly, assisting in stopping preventable illnesses from becoming life threatening. For example, Japan has a rapidly ageing population. In 1965 the average age of Japanese citizens was 27 years, by 2015 this had increased to 46 years. This correlates with World Bank statistics that show Japan averaged 1 physician per 1000 patients in 1965, by 2015 this had increased to 2.4 physicians per 1000 people. Overall this shows that improving access to healthcare is a key factor causing ageing population as it prevents preventable diseases such as dysentery or infections from escalating, and therefore reduces the overall death rate. This in turn means more people are living longer lives, shifting the average age of the population upwards.Another cause of ageing populations in certain MEDCs is high costs of living contributing to a declining birth rate. A common trait among countries with ageing populations is a low birth rate. According to the CIA World Facebook 2018, Germany has a birth rate of 8.6 births per 1000 population and Japan has a rate of 7.5 births per 1000 population, this compares to a global average of 18.5 births per 1000 population. Correspondingly, Japan and Germany both have high costs of living, with Japan ranking 18th in the world for living costs. Birth rates decline because it becomes more expensive to raise a child and support housing, food and educational costs for a child. This means that people have less children because of the expense involved. As fewer children are born, the demographics of the country then shift as the younger age categories have a lower population than older groups, resulting in an ageing population.