Germans concerned about ageing population, survey finds

An increasing number of Germans are concerned about the risks of an ageing population, a new survey conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation has found.

Nearly two-thirds of participants said they associated the demographic shift with poverty in old age, a longer working life and increasing retirement contributions.

The number of people who said they were afraid of the demographic change has risen significantly in recent years: in 2014, 55 per cent of respondents perceived the ageing society as a problem, three years later that percentage has risen to 65 per cent.

However, the number of people willing to work until later in life has also increased. In 2002, 52 per cent of survey participants wanted to go into early retirement, by 2017 it was only 25 per cent.

The number of people willing to work for longer, even after retirement, has more than doubled in recent years, from 5 per cent to 12 per cent of respondents.

The Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research, on behalf of the Bertelsmann Foundation, surveyed 1,454 Germans over 16 years of age on the demographic shift. The survey published on Thursday was conducted from October 7 to 19, 2017.