The Changing Demographics of the United States

The Changing Demographics of the United States

Introduction

In the past few years, a rapid increase in the population of the United States has been observed. The United Nations and the U.S. Census Bureau have estimated that, by the mid of the 21st century, the population of America would become as high as 404 to 158 million. It is anticipated that, within the next twenty years, approximately a hundred million people would be added to the current population.

The Changing Demographics

The current proportion of the total population of the United States that is comprised of people who are at least 65 years old is approximately thirteen percent, however, this ratio is expected to reach as high as twenty percent by the year 2050. This has raised worries among the American philosophers who have begun to fear of its declining eminence with time. Despite the fact that the younger generation would age across the years, it is expected that the proportion of working and young people would keep growing as opposed to most advanced nations.

Studies have indicated that this sudden increase is a direct manifestation of the increased ratio of immigrants, who are likely to have more children as compared to the local residents, who have been in the States for several generations. Additional drastic increase is expected to occur soon, when the original boomers would grow old enough to have children of their own.

According to the US census data, the ratio of people belonging to the age group of 15 to 64 years old is anticipated to grow by approximately 42 percent across the years till 2050. On the other hand, owing to the declining fertility rates, the ratio of young and working-age individuals is supposed to decline throughout the world, including China, Europe, and South Korea and even in Japan. This aspect of the changing demographics, in particular, has added to the worries of nations as it appears that in the years to come, more than a third of the total population would be comprised of people who are over 65 years old. It seems likely that, by then, America would home to over 350 million people under the age of 65 (Kotkin, 2010).

Consequences of the Increasing US Population

Numerous environmentalist concerns have been raised by the prospect concerning the increase of a hundred million Americans by the year 2050. Moreover, the fertility rate of America, which is fifty percent higher than that of Russia, Germany and Japan and almost all of Europe, has prompted significant criticisms by the concerned people. According to Colleen Heenan, who is an environmental activist and a feminist author, those American families who prefer large families are ultimately contributing to a detrimental environment. Their choices lead to higher population rates which in turn lead to resource shortages. Peter Kareiva, commenting on the similar topic claimed that the decision of not having a child would serve as the most effectual way of decreasing carbon emissions from the ...