health

While more people enjoy longer, more productive lives in the 21st century,
there are problems associated with an aging population. Due to better
living conditions, better medical treatments, and more nutritious eating
habits in modern times than in previous ages, the elderly populations of
many countries are increasing. At the same time, the birth rates for many
of these countries are decreasing. For the first time in human history, in
the United States and elsewhere as of the early 2000s, the population of
people over age 65 is greater than the population of children under the age
of five. It was anticipated that as middle-aged persons begin to retire there
will not be enough younger workers to take their places. Many national
social insurance systems, including the U.S. Social Security system, rely
on a relatively large working population to support a relatively small
retirement generation. The trend at the beginning of the 21st century
suggests the advent of a challenge to these systems. One benefit of better
health among the elderly is that workers may postpone retirement for
many years. However, the elderly will continue to need more health care,
and this burden on the healthcare systems of affected nations will increase
as the elderly live longer. As of 2009, many industrialized nations were
working on restructuring their healthcare and retirement systems to meet
anticipated increased demand.