Population Ageing in Asia: trends and implications

1
Population Ageing in Asiatrends and
implications

• Seminar on the Social, Health and Economic
  Consequences of Population Ageing in the Context
  of Changing Families
• Bangkok, Thailand
• 25th 27th July, 2007
• Ghazy Mujahid
• Adviser on Population Policies Development
• UNFPA CST-Bangkok

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Population Ageingemergence as a global issue

• Population ageing is defined as the increasing
  proportion of older persons in total population
• Older persons defined as 60
• Shift in focus society for all ages ageing in
  place

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Population Ageing in Asia, 1950-2050
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Decline in Fertility
5
Improvements in life expectancy
6
Population changes by Age Group
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Share of older persons in population increment

• Increase in older persons as of total
  population increase

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Declining support base
pop 15-64 per person aged 65 and more
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Demographic Profile of Older Population

• Three main features
• - Ageing of the older population
• Feminization of Ageing
• Higher degree of population ageing in rural
• areas

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Ageing of Older Persons
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Shrinking support base for theoldest old
Pop 85 per 100 pop aged 50-64
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Feminization of Ageing

Percentage of females in older population
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Feminization of the oldest old population

Percentage of females in oldest old population
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Rural/Urban Distribution
Rural-urban differences in ageing selected
countries
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Disability by age and sex

Incidence of Disability by Age and Sex
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Greater vulnerability of older women 1990s
Employment and marital status of older persons
percentage of 60 in labour force percentage
of 60 currently married Source Population
Ageing Chart 2006 (UNDESA)
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Poverty by Age

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Main Findings

• The process of ageing is irreversible
• Proportion of oldest old is increasing
• Older women outnumber older men and a higher
  proportion are single
• Rural populations are more aged
• Family support base is projected to decline
• Incidence of poverty is higher among the older
  population

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Population Ageing policy implications

• Health (epidemiological transition disability)
• Education (school curriculum)
• Poverty (employment pensions welfare)
• Living arrangements (strengthening the family)
• Infrastructure (housing age-friendly facilities)
  
• Emergencies (special attention)
• Legislation (special provisions)

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Role of UNFPA

• Advocacy
• Data collection, research and training
• Policy formulation/Legislation
• Poverty alleviation strategies (employment,
  social protection including social pensions)
• Promoting active ageing (older persons
  inclusion)
• Regional cooperation
• Mainstreaming of population ageing into
• development policies and programmes

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Thank you for your attention