Future of an Ageing Population

5.1 Family trends occurring in parallel to ageing
and because of ageing
Families J are central to understanding an ageing population. Chapter 1
showed how changing family structures and decisions are important drivers
of ageing in the population, manifested most obviously through belowreplacement
fertility rates. In turn, ageing will change family structures and
relations, including leading to a ‘verticalisation’ of families and affecting intergenerational
caring responsibilities. These issues are the subjects of sections
5.4 and 5.5 respectively.
There are also a number of changes to families happening in parallel to
population ageing. These trends may be related to population dynamics or may
be the result of other societal or behavioural trends, but they are important as
they are likely to affect the way that population ageing plays out in the UK.
Section 5.2 considers the diversification of family structures, while section 5.3
considers the changing role of women in an ageing population.
Policy Implication
Families have long been a central component of the drivers and implications
of population ageing. Children are born into families and family decisions
regulate the number of children born; dependant individuals both young and
old are typically supported and cared for within families; transfers of finance,
support and care are moved between the generations within families.
5.2 Towards a plurality of family structures
In recent decades, the UK, like many countries across the developed world,
has witnessed an evolving pattern of change in the nature of family structures,
roles and relationships. Attitudes are changing towards marriage, cohabitation,
single parenthood, divorce and childlessness. Marriage is no longer regarded
as the only framework in which it is possible to live as a family and to have
children. The result is that, while the marriage is still the dominant form of
family, families are becoming increasingly heterogeneous and complex in size,
character and location (see Figures 5.1 and 5.2).
J A family is defined by the ONS as a group of people who are either:
• a married, same-sex civil partnership, or cohabiting couple, with or without children
• a lone parent with children,
• a married, same-sex civil partnership, or cohabiting couple with grandchildren but
with no children present from the intervening generation, or
• a single grandparent with grandchildren but no children present from the intervening generation.
For further information see: http://web.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/census/2011/censusdata/2011-census-user-guide/glossary/index.html
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