The population of the West Midlands is changing. Over the next 20 years the number of people aged 85 and over will double, the region's population will become increasingly diverse and more people will be living alone or in small households.
The State of the Region thematic report, The West Midlands Changing Population (PDF, 437kb) published in October 2009, looks at the implications of these changes.
As with all State of the Region dialogues, the report focuses particularly on understanding how the evidence can inform policy responses across a range of areas.
The report begins with a review of the major population trends which will be seen in the region over the coming years. It considers how the recession will influence those trends and looks at alternative approaches to projecting what they will mean for the West Midlands.
However, the main part of the report looks at the implications of population change for the four main policy themes identified in Local Area Agreements:
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Safer and stronger communities
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Adult health and well-being
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Children and young people
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Local economy and environmental sustainability
Each chapter of the report was written by a different author. In preparing the report, we worked with the Population and Society Topic Group. The Topic Group identified the authors of the chapters, and the group also contributed to the other parts of the report.
Implications of population change workshop
The first stage of the dialogue was a workshop held at the Observatory, 31st March 2009. Speakers at the event—and links to view the presentations (with audio) on our blog—included:
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