Population density and an AGING POPULATION
Figure 8: (http://traveljapanblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads.jpg)
With 404 people living in every square kilometre (CIA World Factbook), The Netherlands have an extremely high population density, trailing only 4 countries in density with a population over 10 million. Unlike many countries on the list such as Rwanda, India, or Bangladesh, The Netherlands has been able to manage its density and has been very efficient in land allocation. There is very little unused land. Every inch of urban land is used in some way, and the sophisticated transportation system
However, The Netherlands are now facing a challenge. With a still slowly growing population and an already very crowded country, decisions are to be made about immigration and land use. Another problem is the aging population, which increases the dependency load.
Such a crowded country has only limited space for more people and it faces a dilemma regarding its liberal immigration laws (which are slowly changing).
Another issue arising in The Netherlands is the rising dependency load. The statistics are misleading, too, as the younger population is more likely to have immigrated to The Netherlands without any older relatives there. This places the responsibility of care on a shrinking young population. The government's funds will need to be increasingly allocated to social security, healthcare, as well as pensions, leaving possible deficits in other areas. Other issues arising from the high dependency load are poverty and poor life conditions for the population who has the burden of care.
With a low Total Fertility Rate of 1.78 (www.indexmundi.com), The Netherlands will need to allow immigration to fund their aging population..Or will they? There is very little room in the country for more immigration and limited government funds are beginning to already impact many of the country's traditional expenditures. An example of this are the country's military operations in Afghanistan, which were cut in 2010 for a variety of reasons, including lack of funds (BBC).
However, The Netherlands are now facing a challenge. With a still slowly growing population and an already very crowded country, decisions are to be made about immigration and land use. Another problem is the aging population, which increases the dependency load.
Such a crowded country has only limited space for more people and it faces a dilemma regarding its liberal immigration laws (which are slowly changing).
Another issue arising in The Netherlands is the rising dependency load. The statistics are misleading, too, as the younger population is more likely to have immigrated to The Netherlands without any older relatives there. This places the responsibility of care on a shrinking young population. The government's funds will need to be increasingly allocated to social security, healthcare, as well as pensions, leaving possible deficits in other areas. Other issues arising from the high dependency load are poverty and poor life conditions for the population who has the burden of care.
With a low Total Fertility Rate of 1.78 (www.indexmundi.com), The Netherlands will need to allow immigration to fund their aging population..Or will they? There is very little room in the country for more immigration and limited government funds are beginning to already impact many of the country's traditional expenditures. An example of this are the country's military operations in Afghanistan, which were cut in 2010 for a variety of reasons, including lack of funds (BBC).