Age-sex structures – what are they? (cont.)
Why are age structures important?
Knowledge of the age structure of a population is vital for planning and providing services for that population. The types of services required vary largely by age, and also by sex. A population with a greater proportion of children will need a greater number of schools, whereas a population with a greater number of elderly people will require care homes and a greater emphasis on the social care needs which face people as they age. There will also be consequences for the health care system, as medical requirements vary largely with age.
It is also necessary to understand the age-sex structure of a population in order to predict the numbers of births and deaths which are likely to occur in the future.
The following pages describe the relationship between the age-sex structure of a population and demographic events (i.e. births and deaths).
Click the play button to see how the age-sex structure of Ireland's population changed over the period 1960-2010.