Honduras Position Paper (Aging Population)

Honduras currently finds that the birth rate is beginning to decrease in our country along with the mortality rate. The birth rate in Honduras is 25.61 per 1000 person in 2010 ranked #59 in the world, a drop from 26.27 per 1000 person in 2009 which may possibly signal a slowing of population growth. However, Honduras continues to face many problems such as unequal wealth distribution, 59% of the population under poverty line, low per capita GDP and a mostly rural population. Currently Honduras is dealing with the opposite population trend causing a huge burden on government services and infrastructure.

Honduras understands that more and more countries in the world are currently or going to experience an aging population with a median age of 40 years old or above. But, the current median age of Honduras for 2010 is only 20.7. In other words, Honduras is not being affected by aging population at this point.

We need to relieve pressure on countries dealing with overpopulation and an aging population. Honduras believes that sending out our laborers to other nations can help our nation to increase incomes by remittance. As well, this can lower the impact of overpopulation in our country by decreasing the pressure of government services and infrastructure. This may also help countries, with an aging population, that do not have enough labour to support their economy. In order to achieve this goal, countries with an aging population are encouraged to opens up their borders. As Joaquin Almunia, the EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner said when interviewed about the aging EU populations, “The European Union needs substantial but controlled immigration”

When people will be able to flow freely between countries, an aging population will be balance by a flow of labour from countries suffering from overpopulation.