AP Human Geography Flashcards: Aging Populations
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is a potential social consequence of population aging?
A social consequence can include changes in family structures and increased demand for elder care services, impacting both families and government resources.
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What is a potential social consequence of population aging?
A social consequence can include changes in family structures and increased demand for elder care services, impacting both families and government resources.
How do changes in birth and death rates cause a population to age?
Lower birth rates mean fewer young people, while lower death rates and higher life expectancy mean people live longer, both contributing to a higher median age.
A government report highlights a strain on its pension and healthcare systems. What underlying demographic cause, mentioned in the text, could be responsible?
The strain on these systems is a likely economic and social consequence of an aging population, which increases the dependency ratio.
Describe a potential political consequence of having an aging population.
A political consequence could be a shift in policy focus towards issues affecting older voters, such as healthcare and retirement benefits, as they become a larger voting bloc.
What is the dependency ratio in the context of an aging population?
The dependency ratio is a key economic consequence of an aging population, measuring the ratio of non-working dependents to the working-age population.
If a country's birth rate is falling while its life expectancy is rising, what demographic shift is it likely experiencing?
This country is likely experiencing population aging, as there are fewer young people and a growing proportion of older individuals.
Explain the relationship between life expectancy and population aging.
As life expectancy increases, people live longer, which directly contributes to the aging of a population by increasing the proportion of elderly citizens.
What are the three primary factors that determine population aging?
Population aging is determined by a country's birth rates, death rates, and overall life expectancy.
Identify the three main categories of consequences resulting from an aging population.
An aging population has significant political, social, and economic consequences for a country.
What is a major economic challenge associated with a rising dependency ratio?
A rising dependency ratio creates an economic challenge where a smaller workforce must fund social services, like pensions and healthcare, for a larger retired population.