Breakdown of Im Durchschnitt ist die Bevölkerung jetzt älter als früher.
sein
to be
jetzt
now
alt
old
früher
in the past
Questions & Answers about Im Durchschnitt ist die Bevölkerung jetzt älter als früher.
Why is the verb ist before the subject die Bevölkerung?
German sentences follow the "Verb-Second" rule. Because the phrase Im Durchschnitt takes up the first position, the verb ist must come immediately after it in the second position, pushing the subject (die Bevölkerung) to the third position.
Why does the German sentence use im for "on average"?
In German, the phrase is literally "in the average" (in dem Durchschnitt). Durchschnitt is a masculine noun (der Durchschnitt), so the preposition in combined with the dative article dem shortens to im.
Why is it älter als and not älter wie?
When comparing unequal things (like "older than"), German uses als. You only use wie when comparing things that are equal, usually with the structure so [adjective] wie (for example, so alt wie, meaning "as old as").
Does früher just mean "earlier"? How does it mean "before" here?
While früher is technically the comparative form of früh ("early"), it is very commonly used as a general adverb to mean "in the past," "formerly," or "before."