Ageing of the United Kingdom

The population of the United Kingdom is getting increasingly older, due to longer life expectancy and a sub-replacement fertility rate for little under 50 years.

[5][6] The fertility rate of the country has declined from a peak of a nearly 5 children per woman in late 19th century.

By the 1870s, the total fertility rate of the UK population declined from 4.88 children per woman in 1871, to 2.4 by 1921.

[14] Economically, a larger proportion of public spending will need to be devoted to elderly care as the population gets older.

[17] Pensions are an additional problem, and are expected to continue to rise as the population gets older.

[1][22] The cities identified as the youngest were primarily those with a higher proportion of migrant populations.

[22] These were: Slough, Oxford, Luton, London, Cambridge, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Coventry, Cardiff, Bradford and Blackburn.

[22] In conjunction, cities identified as the oldest in the UK primarily were on the coast, those were: Blackpool, Worthing, Bournemouth, Southend, Swansea, Mansfield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Birkenhead and Sunderland.

[23] Frailty refers to a state of health in which older adults gradually lose their bodies' in-built reserves and functioning, making them more vulnerable and less likely to recover.

[31][28] Due to climate change, the UK has experienced a significant increase in severe heat waves.

[34] The UK's ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, particularly multimorbidity, will exacerbate the impact of climate change, making people more vulnerable to extreme temperatures.

To this end, the government provides assistance with family planning as part of the National Health Service.