The impact on healthcare, healthcare costs, under funded pension funds, a shrinking labour force and a global shift to developing economies are just a few implications of what this means in a future of less young and more old. The world will look very different in years to come.
GLOBAL ELDERLY POPULATON GROWING RAPIDLY
“The world’s population is now aging at an unprecedented rate,” according to a recent report by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the U.S. Census Bureau. The number
of people age 65 and older worldwide was estimated at 506 million as of mid-2008, and is expected to reach 1.3 billion by 2040.
The report notes the current growth rate of older people in developing countries is more than double that in developed countries. And in 30 years, the proportion of older people will rise from 7% to 14% of the total world population.
“Aging is affecting every country in every part of the world,” said Richard Suzman, director of NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research. “While there are important differences between developed and developing countries, global aging is changing the social and economic nature of the planet and presenting difficult challenges.”
The rapid increase in the world’s elderly population will present challenges and opportunities for health care, the study suggests.
Art Epstein
Saverio Manzo
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