Population ageing and the need for research on ageing: Correcting a misconception

• Main Authors: KNODEL, John E., TEERAWICHITCHAINAN, Bussarawan Puk
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2016
• Subjects: Population aging; Asia; Gerontology; Sociology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2037
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Surveys focusing on older persons tend be carried out where population ageing is most advanced. The misconception that countries where the share of the population in older ages is modest need not be concerned with issues related to older persons is seriously misguided. In Asia, countries with the lowest proportion of the population in older ages and most modest projected increases in this proportion will nevertheless tend to experience greater proportionate increases in the absolute number of older persons than those with more rapid population ageing. Focusing only on population ageing and ignoring increases in the size of the older population is short sighted. In many cases, the burgeoning numbers of older persons will pose major challenges to the health, welfare and other support systems even if their share of the total population remains modest.