DOCSLIB.ORG

Population Ageing in Ghana and Its Implications

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Population Ageing in Ghana and Its Implications Policy Brief NATIONAL POPULATION COUNCIL NATIONAL POPULATION No. III September, 2014 COUNCIL Population Ageing in Ghana and its Implications 1. Introduction countries. Given that the rate of growth of older populations in developing countries is far higher ver the past decade population ageing has than that of developed countries it is expected that become one of the most fundamental issues The population of any O over time, majority of the world’s aged will live in of our time. Persons aged 60 years and over already country is described as developing country. constitute over 11 per cent of the world population ageing when the median and by 2050 the proportion of the population aged age of that population 3. Trends and Future Growth of 60 years and over will account for 21.1 percent of the is rapidly increasing, Ageing Population in Ghana. global population. While all countries are experiencing resulting in a gradual shift ageing of their populations, the phenomenon is he 2010 Population and Housing Census showed in the age structure of happening most rapidly in developing countries Tthat although the proportion of older persons that population in favour (60+ years) decreased from 7.2 percent in 2000 to of older persons. where 60 per cent of the world’s older people live (United Nations Population Division, 2012). 6.7 percent in 2010, in terms of absolute numbers Globally, the population aged 60 years and over there has been a sevenfold increase in the population is expected to almost triple, from 841 million in of the aged from 215,258 in 1960 to 1,643,978 in 2013 to two billion in 2050. These older cohorts 2010. The proportion of the female elderly population The 2010 Population will outnumber all children under the age of 14 by is 56 per cent compared with 44 per cent for males. and Housing Census 2050, thus exceeding the number of young people Thus, even though Ghana’s population remains largely showed that although in the world for the first time in history. According youthful, consisting of a large proportion of children the proportion of older to experts, the trend towards older populations is under 15 years of age (reported at 44.5 percent in persons (60+ years) largely irreversible, with young populations unlikely 1960; 46.9 percent in 1970; 45 percent in 1984; 41.3 decreased from 7.2 to occur again. percent in 2000 and 38.3 percent in 2010), the size percent in 2000 to This policy brief explains the concept of ageing, of the elderly population has been growing. 6.7 percent in 2010, and presents trends in population ageing globally and Life expectancy at birth has also improved in terms of absolute in Ghana. It further discusses the health and economic dramatically since independence, increasing from numbers there has been implications of a growing proportion of the aged an estimated 45.5 years in 1960 to 48.6 and 52.7 a sevenfold increase in population in Ghana and makes recommendations years respectively in 1970 and 1984 (representing the population of the for policy and programmatic interventions and an increase of 4.1 years over a period of 14 years). aged from 215,258 in for mainstreaming ageing in national development In 2010, the Ghana Statistical Service reported life 1960 to 1,643,978 frameworks. expectancy of 60.7 years for males and 61.8 years in 2010 for females. 2. Concept of Ageing 4. Implications of Population n many parts of the developing world, the definition Ageing. Iof ageing is the combination of chronology, change in social role (i.e. change in work patterns, adult he pace of population ageing is progressing faster As more and more status of children and menopause) and change in Tin developing countries. As a result, developing people live longer as capabilities (i.e. invalid status, senility and change in countries will have less time to prepare for, and a result of Ghana’s physical characteristics). adjust to, the consequences of population ageing. improving socio- The population of any country is described as Unlike developed countries, people in developing economic situation, the ageing when the median age of that population is countries will become old before they become rich necessary laws, policies, rapidly increasing, resulting in a gradual shift in the as population ageing is taking place at the lower levels institutions, strategies age structure of that population in favour of older of socio-economic development than is the case for and programmes that persons. This is a consequence of a number of factors, developed countries. This has several implications have been put in place including declining fertility, decreasing premature for the aged population and the socio-economic must be made to work deaths and prolonged life expectancies. development of developing countries. to enable this important In developed countries, the population ageing This following section discusses the health, social, segment of the is not a new phenomenon whilst in developing economic and labour implications of population population contribute to countries, it is a recent occurrence. Currently, the ageing in Ghana. national development most aged populations are in developed countries but majority of the older persons live in developing Table1: Population of elderly, 1960-2050 Age 1960 1970 1984 2000 2010 2020* 2030* 2040* 2050* 60-64 118,039 146,378 225,776 366,351 475,849 667,892 989,840 1,418,131 1,911,096 65-69 60,958 94,218 145,309 258,709 293,871 475,550 728,508 1,065,316 1,513,288 70-74 56,529 82,392 128,866 225,158 351,330 363,517 489,350 743,971 1,090,699 75-79 30,961 42,262 71,813 144,830 205,953 219,708 284,338 451,772 681,441 80+ 61,107 205,164 341,533 370,243 316,378 175,553 221,084 306,408 485,014 Total 327,594 570,414 913,297 1,365,291 1,643,381 1,902,220 2,713,120 3,985,598 5,681,538 Source: Ghana Statistical Service, Census Report and * National Population Council 2014 (Projections) 4.1 Health 4.4 Sustaining Social Security Issues A growing population of older persons comes with an increase in The public sector employment constitutes about six percent (6.3%), degenerative and non-communicable diseases such as high blood private formal seven percent (7%) and private informal approximately pressure, diabetes, cancers and cardiac related diseases. The Ghana 87 percent (86.7%) of the total workforce in Ghana, (GSS, 2013). The Health Service lists hypertension, skin diseases, diarrhoea, acute eye and vast majority of Ghanaians who work in the private informal sector ear infections, rheumatic and joint diseases among the top 20 diseases retire without any social security. The sector is also dominated by affecting Ghanaians (GHS, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010). women because of the limited skills, education and capital required Figure 1 shows the number of reported cases of these diseases for to operate in that sector. Older persons in Ghana, particularly women 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2012. The chart clearly shows that the number of are more likely to depend on others, given lower literacy and higher reported cases of these diseases have been increasing over the years. incidence of widowhood. This maybe as a result of the increase in the number of population An additional challenge is the changing family structure and shrinking aged 60 years and above. According to Ayernor (2012), in his paper social support networks. The extended family support system that on “Diseases of Ageing in Ghana”, he states that the prevalence of previously provided safety nets for its members particularly during old chronic non-communicable diseases among the elderly in the country age is fast breaking down due to out-migration, growth of “individualism” will increase and that chronic non-communicable diseases will have in modern industrial life, the materialistic thinking among the younger significant health and economic implications for the individual, family generation, and eroding incomes of household members, making even and the country. working family members incapable of adequately caring for their ageing It is obvious that as the size of the population of older persons or older relations. increases, the health challenges would be enormous and would require priority attention in the country. Healthcare cost in the country will 5. Policy Interventions therefore continue to rise as demand for health care increases with everal national policy documents as well as social protection an ageing population. Furthermore since many of the aged will be Sprogrammes and projects have been instituted to provide for the at the lower ends of the socio economic strata they will depend needs of the aged in Ghana. These include heavily on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) making it The 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, the Ghana Shared an expensive venture Growth and Development Agenda 2010-2013, the National Population 4.2 Economic Policy (Revised Edition, 1994), the National Ageing Policy (2010), the National Health Insurance Act 2003 (Act 650), and the National Social A population with a substantial proportion being aged has implications Protection Strategy. for the size and composition of its labour force, their participation in Article 37(2) (b) of the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, economic activities as well as the economic growth of the country. states that the “state shall enact appropriate laws to For instance, older people tend to work less, meaning that they offer assure the protection and promotion of all other basic less labor, productivity and capital to economies. Similarly, the capacity human rights and freedoms, including the rights of the to save may diminish with age, which could impact on the generation disabled, the aged, children and other vulnerable groups of savings in the economy as a greater number of persons grow older.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • World Population Ageing 2017 Highlights
    E c o n o m i c & S o c i a l A f a i r s A S o c i a l 2017 World asdf Population United Nations Ageing [highlights] ST/ESA/SER.A/397 Department of Economic and Social Affairs World Population Ageing 2017 Highlights asdf United Nations New York, 2017 The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and environmental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations draw to review common problems and take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks devel- oped in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through techni- cal assistance, helps build national capacities. The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides the international community with timely and accessible population data and analysis of population trends and development outcomes for all countries and areas of the world. To this end, the Division undertakes regular studies of population size and characteristics and of all three components of population change (fertility, mortality and migration). Founded in 1946, the Population Division provides substantive support on population and development issues to the United Nations General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Com- mission on Population and Development.
    [Show full text]
  • Strategy and Action Plan for Healthy Ageing in Europe (2012–2020)
    Regional Committee for Europe Sixty-second session Malta, 10–13 September 2012 Strategy and action plan for healthy ageing in Europe, 2012–2020 Regional Committee for Europe EUR/RC62/10 Rev.1 Sixty-second session + EUR/RC62/Conf.Doc./4 Malta, 10–13 September 2012 10 September 2012 122346 Provisional agenda item 5(c) ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Strategy and action plan for healthy ageing in Europe, 2012–2020 The WHO European Region has a rapidly ageing population. The median age is already the highest in the world, and the proportion of people aged 65 and above is forecast to almost double between 2010 and 2050. The average age of the population and the proportion of people above retirement age are also projected to increase fast, even in countries with life expectancies that are well below the European average. Allowing more people to lead active and healthy lives in later age requires investing in a broad range of policies for healthy ageing, from prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) over the life-course to strengthening health systems, in order to increase older people’s access to affordable, high-quality health and social services. Investing in healthy ageing has become key for the sustainability of health and social policies in Europe. A closing window of opportunity of relative growth of the labour force along with unfavourable economic prospects in many countries in Europe have made the need to step up the implementation of policies for active ageing particularly urgent. This document contains a draft strategy and action plan for healthy ageing in Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • A Decade of TFR Declines Suggests No Relationship Between Development and Sub-Replacement Fertility Rebounds
    DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VOLUME 44, ARTICLE 5, PAGES 125142 PUBLISHED 20 JANUARY 2021 https://www.demographic-research.org/Volumes/Vol44/5/ DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2021.44.5 Descriptive Finding A decade of TFR declines suggests no relationship between development and sub-replacement fertility rebounds Hampton Gray Gaddy © 2021 Hampton Gray Gaddy. This open-access work is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Germany (CC BY 3.0 DE), which permits use, reproduction, and distribution in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are given credit. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/legalcode. Contents 1 Introduction 126 2 Methods 129 2.1 HDI–TFR associations 129 2.2 HLI–TFR associations 131 2.3 The role of gender equality 132 3 Results and discussion 132 3.1 HDI–TFR associations 132 3.2 HLI–TFR associations 134 3.3 The role of gender equality 136 4 Conclusion 137 5 Acknowledgements 137 References 138 Demographic Research: Volume 44, Article 5 Descriptive Finding A decade of TFR declines suggests no relationship between development and sub-replacement fertility rebounds Hampton Gray Gaddy1 Abstract BACKGROUND Human development is historically associated with fertility declines. However, demographic paradigms disagree about whether that relationship should hold at very high levels of development. Using data through the late 2000s, Myrskylä, Kohler, and Billari (2009, 2011) found that very high national levels of the Human Development Index (HDI) were associated with increasing total fertility rates (TFRs), at least at high levels of gender parity. OBJECTIVE This paper seeks to update that finding and to introduce the Human Life Indicator (HLI) as a novel measure of development within this debate.
    [Show full text]
  • Ageing in Portugal: Regional Iniquities in Health and Health Care
    Social Science & Medicine 50 (2000) 1025±1036 www.elsevier.com/locate/socscimed Ageing in Portugal: regional iniquities in health and health care Paula Santana* Departamento de Geogra®a, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Coimbra, 3030 Coimbra, Portugal Abstract The health of the Portuguese has improved considerably in the last twenty years. Economic and social transformations that have contributed to the progressive amelioration of problems of feeding, sanitation, hygiene, housing and social conditions in general, as well as health services, have had decisive eect on this phenomenon. The spectacular regression of the indicators related to transmitted diseases, infant, perinatal (more than 50% between 1985 and 1994) and maternal mortality, and the mortality of children 1 to 4 yr old, also re¯ects this impact. The positive changes that took place in health indicators were re¯ected in the growth of life expectancy at birth (2.2 yr more for male and 2.3 more for women between 1985 and 1994) in spite of the fact that the dierence in life expectancy in relation to EU countries has grown. Improvement in life expectancy, especially in the older age groups, is not normally associated with signi®cant reductions in morbidity. In fact, increased longevity has become more generally associated with chronic illness or other disabilities requiring more medical services and other forms of personal care. This paper reviews some of the evidence for regional dierences in the health status of elderly people in Portugal and considers how health services have reacted to these dierences. A preliminary study of health status and patterns of utilisation of elderly people was undertaken.
    [Show full text]
  • PEAK INSIGHTS 2021 Asia Demographic Trends: Elders and Millennials
    PEAK INSIGHTS 2021 Asia demographic trends: Elders and Millennials www.peak-re.com About Peak Re Peak Reinsurance Company Limited (“Peak Re”) is a Hong Kong-based reinsurance company authorised by the Insurance Authority of Hong Kong. It is one of the locally established reinsurance companies in Asia Pacific, underwriting both life and non-life reinsurance business. With shareholder equity of USD 1.1 billion as of 31 December 2019, Peak Re enjoys an “A- (stable)” rating by A.M. Best and an “A3 (stable)” rating by Moody’s. The Company ranks among the top 30 global reinsurance groups in terms of net written premiums.* Peak Re strives to provide innovative and forward- looking reinsurance services for customers in the Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa and the Americas. It tailors risk transfer and capital management solutions to best fit clients’ needs. Fosun International Limited (00656.HK) and Prudential Financial, Inc. hold approximately 87% and respectively 13% of Peak Re via Peak Reinsurance Holdings Limited. * Source: S&P Top 40 Global Reinsurance Groups 2020 2 PEAK INSIGHTS 2021 3 Summary Two population cohorts will shape the outlook of Asia in the next decade: the Elders and the Millennials. Lower fertility rate and longer life expectancy are driving population ageing in Asia, with dire implications on issues ranging from economic growth to the provision of old- age social benefits. Meanwhile, the region’s economic growth will derive support from the coming ascension of the Millennials, who will increasingly form the core of Asia’s aspiring middle-class. The pandemic and economic recession in 2020 might have possibly sped up the pace of population ageing and delayed the rise of the Millennials.
    [Show full text]
  • How Today's Generations Are Changing the World TRANSCRIPT
    After the Fact | Event Rebroadcast: How Today’s Generations Are Changing the World Originally aired June 1, 2017 Total runtime: 00:44:17 TRANSCRIPT [Music] Dan Leduc: Two billion—that’s a lot, and you only know the half of it. Welcome to “After the Fact.” For The Pew Charitable Trusts, I’m Dan LeDuc. Every episode of this podcast has a data point, and this one is no different. By the middle of this century, there will be 2 billion elderly people in the world, but as we said, that’s only half the story. There also will be 2 billion young people. That there’s as many of each group is a first for the globe. And together they’ll represent more than 40 percent of the world’s population. It presents profound implications for how we will work and live. There’s lots to discuss on this subject, and not long ago, Pew held a forum in London called “How Today’s Generations Are Changing the World.” Sarah Harper, a professor of gerontology and director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford University, and Michael Dimock, president of the Washington-based Pew Research Center, joined in a conversation with Pew’s senior vice president for institutional partnerships, Sally O’Brien. And they all took part in a lively question-and-answer session with the audience. Here’s Sally to get us started. Sally O’Brien: Good evening, everybody. My name is Sally O’Brien, and I’m absolutely delighted to welcome you all here on behalf of my colleagues from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Pew Research Center.
    [Show full text]
  • World Population Ageing 2019
    World Population Ageing 2019 Highlights ST/ESA/SER.A/430 Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division World Population Ageing 2019 Highlights United Nations New York, 2019 The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and environmental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations draw to review common problems and take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks developed in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, helps build national capacities. The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides the international community with timely and accessible population data and analysis of population trends and development outcomes for all countries and areas of the world. To this end, the Division undertakes regular studies of population size and characteristics and of all three components of population change (fertility, mortality and migration). Founded in 1946, the Population Division provides substantive support on population and development issues to the United Nations General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Population and Development. It also leads or participates in various interagency coordination mechanisms of the United Nations system.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Population Ageing on Public Education in Japan : A
    Munich Personal RePEc Archive The effects of population ageing on public education in Japan : A reinterpretation using micro data. Saito, Hitoshi Kobe International University 23 June 2017 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/79848/ MPRA Paper No. 79848, posted 23 Jun 2017 09:11 UTC The effects of population ageing on public education in Japan: A reinterpretation using micro data* Hitoshi Saito† Abstract: This study explored the effects of population ageing on public education using Japanese micro data. In recent years, Japan has become the fastest-ageing society among the major countries; the ageing of the population is expected to progress rapidly, such that in 2050, the population of those 65 years of age or older will be about 37% of the total population. Owing to such rapid ageing of the population in Japan, it is important to understand whether the elderly have any preferences regarding public education services. Therefore, through the elderly’s reasons for choosing a place of residence, we examined the difference in their preferences for education due to differences in family type and asset conditions. The results of the analysis, like those obtained by Poterba (1998) and Ohtake and Sano (2009), suggest the possibility that elderly people who no longer live with their families do not support education. However as suggested by Hilber and Mayer (2009), elderly people who have more real estate assets can obtain indirect benefits from education; thus, even if they no longer live with their families, such elderly people may support education. JEL Codes: I22, I28, H75 Keywords: Public Education, Population Ageing, Area of Residence, Intergenerational Altruism Version, June 20, 2017 * The author wishes to thank Nobuo Akai, Mitsunari Ishida, Kazuki Onji, Takashi Kuramoto, Hideo Nankai, Katsuyoshi Nakazawa, Hiroshi Nakano, Yukihiro Nishimura, Hirata Kenjiro, Haruaki Hirota, Isao Horiba, Mitsuyoshi Yanagihara, Yasuhiro Yamauchi, and Hideo Yunoue for their useful comments and suggestions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Potential Crisis of Population Ageing and Low Fertility: GEMTEE Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Used in Population Forecasts and Analysis
    The Potential Crisis of Population Ageing and Low Fertility: GEMTEE Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium used in Population Forecasts and Analysis Hsing-Chun Lin* Associate Professor, Department of Applied Economics, National Chiayi University, E-mail address: [email protected] Huey-Lin Lee Associate Professor,Department of Economics, National Chengchi University E-mail address: [email protected] Po-Chi Chen Associate Professor,Department of International Business, Chung Hua University E-mail address: [email protected] Sheng-Ming Hsu Ph. D. Student, Department of Agricultural Economics, National Taiwan University, E-mail address: [email protected] Kuo-Jung Lin Professor, Department of International Trade, Chihlee Institute of Technology E-mail address: [email protected] Duu-Hwa Lee Associate Professor, Institute of Applied Economics, National Taiwan Ocean Unoversity E-mail address: [email protected] Ching-Cheng Chang, Research Fellow, Institute of Economics, Academia Sinica, and Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, National Taiwan University, Email: [email protected] Shih-Shun Hsu Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, National Taiwan University, E-mail address: [email protected] * Corresponding author. Associate Professor, Department of Applied Economics, National Chiayi University. 580 Sinmin Road, Chiayi, 600, Taiwan. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: 886-5-2732858. Fax: 886-5-2732853. Residual errors are ours alone. 1 Abstract Based on the Cohort-Component Method, the Department of Manpower Planning, Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) (2012) made population projections through the assumptions of fertility, mortality, and migration to calculate future population by age and gender groups, and took economic factors as exogenous variables.
    [Show full text]
  • World Population Ageing 2019
    World Population Ageing 2019 ST/ESA/SER.A/444 Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division World Population Ageing 2019 United Nations New York, 2020 The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and environmental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations draw to review common problems and take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks developed in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, helps build national capacities. The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides the international community with timely and accessible population data and analysis of population trends and development outcomes for all countries and areas of the world. To this end, the Division undertakes regular studies of population size and characteristics and of all three components of population change (fertility, mortality and migration). Founded in 1946, the Population Division provides substantive support on population and development issues to the United Nations General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Population and Development. It also leads or participates in various interagency coordination mechanisms of the United Nations system.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenges and Opportunities of Population Ageing Population Ageing and the Decline in the Working- Age Population Have Become an Increasing Concern
    UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE What UNECE does for you Challenges and opportunities of population ageing Population ageing and the decline in the working- age population have become an increasing concern. As Andres Vikat, Chief of the UNECE Population Activities Unit, clarifies, the so-called demographic bonus is gradually coming to an end. This change has important and far-reaching implications across all spheres of society, including on economic and social development, sustainability and equity. UNECE works on mainstreaming ageing to ensure that the issue is not forgotten or ignored when devising policies in any area. What is population increases, so the total resources Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, which includes a ageing? required to meet their needs are concrete catalogue of measures in the form of ten commitments. growing. Literally all spheres After five years, it is time to review how member States have It’s the result of the interplay of society need to adapt to implemented these commitments. The León Conference is thus of longer lives and fertility this change. The patterns of decline. It’s part of a long- a conference of review and appraisal of the Madrid Plan and the intergenerational relationships term development called the Berlin Strategy. Now, in the context where the consequences of demographic transition, which are changing as well. Nowadays, ageing are becoming increasingly evident and the need to react leads from a regime of high it is quite common that there are more acute, the León Conference will also chart an agenda of mortality and high fertility to four generations in a family, and further actions.
    [Show full text]
  • New Publication 'Ageing Europe – Looking at the Lives of Older People'
    EMBARGO: Friday 18 October 2018 - 11:00 CET 160/2019 - 18 October 2019 20 October: European Statistics Day New publication 'Ageing Europe – looking at the lives of older people' 20 October is the fourth European Statistics Day. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), celebrates it with a new publication 'Ageing Europe – looking at the lives of older people'. The publication provides a broad range of statistics that describe the everyday lives of the EU’s older generations. Population ageing is a phenomenon that affects almost every developed country in the world, with both the number and proportion of older people growing across the globe, and this affects most aspects of society and the economy, including housing, healthcare and social protection, labour markets, the demand for goods and services, macroeconomic and fiscal sustainability, family structures and intergenerational ties. At the start of 2019, 101.1 million people in the EU had reached the age of 65 – 20% of the total population. By 2050, this share is projected to increase to 29%. The ageing is mainly due to a long-term fall in fertility rates and increased life expectancy. The publication looks at different socioeconomic indicators by age groups providing a detailed picture of the lives of older people across the EU in six areas: Population developments, Housing and living conditions, Health and disability, Working and moving into retirement, Pensions, income and expenditure, Social life and opinions. A selection of indicators is available as a digital publication, with interactive graphs. Also today, Eurostat has updated three other publications: 'Key figures on Europe - statistics illustrated' and 'Key figures on Europe - statistics visualised', first issued for the European Statistics Day in 2018, Digital publication ‘The life of women and men in Europe’, first issued for the European Statistics Day in 2017.
    [Show full text]