Causes and consequences of demographic processes and changes in contemporary society

Abstract

For the functioning and development of society the great significancehave demographic processes and changes (natural population growth,fertility, birth rate, mortality rate, aging of population, changes in regardto marriage, the frequency of celibacy, divorce). This paper analyzesthe causes and consequences of these processes and changes incontemporary society. The trends of demographic changes are not thesame in all societies in the world. In developed societies today can beobserved, with minor differences, the same demographic trends - lowand/or negative natural population growth, the rapid aging of population,low mortality rates, increasing of the divorces and the like. Onthe other hand, in underdeveloped societies are born many children,where weak economic conditions are conducive to a deterioration inthe material, social and health status of the population (illness andmortality, particularly of women and children). This clearly indicatesthat demographic processes and changes are not directly influencedby economic and social factors (the level of education, the developmentof society in general, etc.), but that there are a number of indirectsocial factors causing it (national, class, political, cultural, religiousand other). In response to the unfavorable demographic trends(population size, the age of the population, etc.) and the consequenceswhich population factor creates in many economic and social areas(reduction of the working population, the burden of social securityfunds, etc.), in the past two decades in the most countries populationpolicy was placed in the area of population fertility - there were introducedthe pro-natalist measures in developed countries and measuresto discourage procreation in underdeveloped countries.