New challenges......age discrimination & no work !

Paul, Coventry, England

The main cause is not falling fertility. The present surge in pensioners has been predictable since the "baby boom" of 1946. Women born then are now 62. The "big bang" of the pensions crisis will occur in 2011 when the male baby-boomers of 1946 reach 65. But nobody in government will prepare for it.

Edmund Burke, Kingston upon Thames, England

Whenever I hear about life long learning and career changes it is put forward by people who are usually in comfy journalistic/academic posts - no career change for them of course! What about the professions? It's not just paper qualifications you know - experience counts for a lot too.

Dr Ian Burgess, Bristol,

each hour we live adds five minutes to our longevity? Depends what you're doing for that hour, ie chomping French fries,chain smoking, etc. Obesity, new diseases and a changing world climate do not seem to factor here, but interesting article.

William , London , UK

(David from Dubai "One of the major benefits of the ageing society will be that ageism will disappear. I won't recruit anyone under 45")

You are joking right? You are ageist!

David, York, UK

Aging population? No problem! Just do what NuLab traitors have done for the last 12 years which is to pursue a policy of ethnic cleansing through the encouragement of immigration of alien peoples into Great Britain. Result? Country trashed, native culture vanished, English race mongrelized.

Steve, Sutton,

The main reason why women don't have any or as many children is because they have the choice. With the education of women comes controlled fertility and increased quality of life. Managed population decline can only be good for us and the planet.

Lyn, Birmingham, UK

What is age? Some 50 year old people have more going for them than most 20 year old; this country has not got a grip with ageism we are surrounded by it and who cares what your age is I am 42 ex army and now in the TA and on my way to Afghanistan to serve queen and country again. My last encounter with the army I noticed young soldiers unable to keep up with physical exercise (play station generation) they are weak fighting stock so stuff age.

bill, Liverpool, England

Harper makes no mention of the distribution of the 'replacement level' of citizens. She claims that in Europe it is about 2.2 though it neglects to mention that for Islamics it is about 3.2 and for native English it is about 1.5. The net result is that England is changing its charecter dramatically.

Michael Peevey, Singapore,

It scarcely seems selfish to postpone having children, and to keep the numbers down when one does. Postponing childrearing until one can better afford it, given the enormous expense, seems quite practical.

APV Gordon, London,

"...shop assistants upskill to become company directors..." - who says academics at oxbridge are out of touch!!

By the way Dale, I agree, but in Britain we call it 'sponging' off the system instead of 'bludging', which I believe is something to do with Quidditch!

Ed, melbourne, australia

Yes, we have 60+ staff that learn new computer programmes and platforms. So many confuse chronological age with what really matters – mental ability and enthusiasm. “Old” children grow into “Old” adults. “Young” children stay enthusiastic and their usefulness does not end at 60.

Michael Wood, London, England

Britain is the worst Society for the young (paedophilia, etc.), & the aged (devil may care) & violence for the middle aged. We need a new moral order.

ian cheese, london, uk

'The over-fifties hold 60 per cent of the UK's savings, represent about 80 per cent of the UK's disposable wealth and are responsible for 40 per cent of the consumer demand..'
Really? Quite a revelation given the scant regard the over-fifties receive from either government or commercial sources.

m collins, Leeds,

So we'lll have more 60 year old policemen/women? 60 year old builders? 60 year old engineers? Have you ever trained a 60year old to use a computer? 60 year old pilots? Perhaps in an office you can have a "grey" workforce,but,with due respect, there are many vital jobs you cannot.

Chris, Rochdale, UK

The solid fact of this story is that people in the uk who are educated and most likely to have children through choice, cannot afford to.

Andrew, Aberdeen, uk

I know many people who have retired only to head back at least part time. Some of this is already happening.

J, London,

Morag, you are wrong, of course. The ageing of western societies inevitably leads to older average age for marriage and childbirth. It would be unnatural if it did not! Some parents are able to have children later, & their daughters then inherit this ability. This is called E V O L U T I O N.

B, London, UK

Public sector final salary pensions, public sector retirement as early as 55, and an overly generous welfare system for the elderly means that old age and falling fertility in the young is unsustainable. The 60/65 wants to retire, employers want youth? Who pays for old age health and welfare?

Karen, London, UK

With referencve to mac, reading. We have a great many wonderful young people ready to inherit the world. I sure they will make a far better job of it than our generation has...

Martyn, York,

mac, literacy rates are the highest that they've ever been. At the same time, computer systems are generally becoming more inuitive and easier to use (I remember when we used to have to type cryptic commands into black screens...).

Mark Johnson, Birmingham, UK

Rubbish This article is Science fiction. It will be more like logan's Run, when after a certain age you are exterminated. The Brits don't like children and really hate old people for reminding them of their own mortality. Life long learning for what dealing with poverty? Sleeping on the street?

David Hambly, St Albans, UK

Regarding pensions; I remember in 1973 when Barbara Castle introduced SERPS an actuary said categorically that they would never be able to pay what they were promising. Brown has since stolen billions each year from pension funds and squandered it all. How does this fit with future demographics?

Derek Morris, Salies de Bearn, France

Sarah - you forget one thing , most companies are frantically tryign to mitigate the loss of experinced staff (who are tryign to get out of this crumbling tax behemoth created by nulab)
throu developing new computer systems - but if the new genration cant even spell there's trouble ahead...!!

mac, reading, uk

An ageing population is fine if it can sustain itself - which would mean people working way beyond 60/65 and more people having more children.

However, people want to retire at 60 and live off their pension for 30 yrs and younger people can't afford to have children... Tricky!

Charlotte, London,

I'm 56 today and have a doughter of 2: hope to work so long as I can. The main question is health: are we going toward a society where most people is aging healthy or a society that is likely to be a huge asylum?

marco, como, italy

If your theory is to be played out then the mindset of UK company Directors, Managers and HR needs to dramatically change as age discrimination is rife in this country!

There is no respect for age in the UK!

Youth is seen as the greatest asset you can have not age and experience.

John, Kingston, UK

Isn't refusing to recruit anyone under the age of 45 ageist? And on pensions; We have to accept the state can't support us all, & fewer and fewer employers are prepared to risk sponsoring final salary pensions. We have to take responsibility and start saving more and earlier for our futures.

Claire, stafford, UK

I don't see life-long learning being much of an option for today's youth - many of whom have never learned to learn at all.
Sort out education - mainly by giving teachers their head - before you start looking on the bright side.

Rosemary, Liverpool,

I am 60. I have no desire or plan to retire any time soon. One of the major benefits of the ageing society will be that ageism will disappear. I won't recruit anyone under 45, but then I live in a country where age and experience are respected.

David, Dubai, UAE

My experience tells me that most women in the UK are having less or no children is because they absolutely can't afford to have them. Even the most basic 1 bedroom homes are virtually unaffordable to those on normal pay, let along extra bedrooms.

Penny, London, UK

Yes it is true we are living longer and we are still being led up the garden path when it comes to pensions. Many of us will not be able to afford to retire and will have to work until we drop. The fact is that the pension market is not a service but a private profit making business.

John Finningham, Gillingham, UK

Morag - you'll have to explain your twisted logic that it is somehow an act of generosity to have children. If that is so there are some incredibly "generous" people out there bludging off welfare.
Also sweeping generalisations about IVF imply a moralist zealot; we're in the 21st century you know.

Dale, Australia,

If any of this is to be true there needs to be a major shift within government. I gave up a successful business 2 years ago because I was so sick of the mindless bureaucracy dictating everything I did. I hear the same from others - self-employed and employed. The reality is we can't wait to retire

Derek Morris, Salies de Bearn, France

"Perhaps one of the reasons why people are delaying having children is because they realise that they will be still be around far longer to see children grow up. " I doubt this is the reason! Selfishness is more like it, followed by weeping if babies have to be bought via IVF after chlamydia etc.

Morag Marinoni, Birmingham, UK