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On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons on October 1, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for ensuring the rights of older persons to adapt to an aging society, while taking advantage of and promoting the potential of this resource, which currently accounts for 10% of the global population.
The Age of the Elderly
According to United Nations data, over the past four decades, the number of elderly people (aged 65 and over) has tripled, from about 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021. According to data from the German statistical agency Statista in 2021, the European Union (EU) is the region with the oldest population in the world, with the proportion of elderly people accounting for 21%; followed by North America (17%), Oceania (13%), Asia (10%), Latin America and the Caribbean (8%); Africa is the region with the lowest average life expectancy, only 4%.
By country, Japan currently has the highest proportion of people over 65 years old in the world (accounting for 29.9% of the total population), followed by Italy (24.1%), Finland (23.3%). In Vietnam, as of 2021, the number of people over 65 years old accounts for 8.3%.
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It is estimated that by 2050, the number of older people in the world could more than double compared to today, to 1.6 billion people, that is, one in six people aged 65 or older, accounting for about 16%-17% of the global population. In the EU alone, by mid-century, about 30% of the population will belong to the so-called “old generation”. In Asia, about 40% of the population of Hong Kong (China), South Korea and Japan will be aged 65 or older. These figures show that population aging is an irreversible global trend and could become one of the most important social changes of the 21st century, affecting almost all socio-economic sectors.
Need sustainable measures
Experts say that societies with aging populations should take steps to adjust public policies to accommodate the growing proportion of older people, such as improving the sustainability of pension and social security systems; establishing universal health care and long-term care systems.
Faced with the enormous challenges posed by an aging population, countries around the world have taken steps to adapt to this situation. Japan is encouraging businesses to create conditions for healthy elderly people to work.
China also plans to rehire retired teachers under 70 to compensate for the mass retirement of education workers and tap their experience and expertise. South Korea is increasing investment in its elderly welfare system, including home care facilities, nursing homes, and senior employment support agencies.
In Europe, in addition to measures to open the door to welcome more immigrant workers like Germany, countries are also continuing to adjust policies to create better job opportunities for the aging population in addition to strengthening the social security and welfare system for the elderly.
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