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.