28. The percent of the population under the age of 19 is higher in developing countries than it is in developed countries.
There are statistics which suggest that in some of the most underdeveloped countries almost one half of the population is aged between 10 and 19. These countries have experienced a much smaller decrease in birth rates than has been seen in more developed countries. Charities and other agencies are calling for additional funds to be made available to provide improved education for these young people as well as easier access to contraception. Aside from this is also a global increase in the number of people aged 65 or older. In the next 50 years, 95% of this increase will happen in developing countries like India, while in countries such as Japan, Germany and Italy the percentage of the population aged 65 or more is set to rise to 40%. Increases in the numbers of the very young and the very old place stress on societies, and governments may find it difficult to cope with the demands of an increasing number of dependent elderly citizens in addition to providing healthcare and education for the young.