The World Society Report 2023 calls for concrete measures to support an aging global population, amid escalating healthcare and pension costs.
According to research published by the Economic and Social Commission of the United Nations (UN).DESA).
Countries can reap the benefits by giving everyone the opportunity to age in good health by promoting equal opportunities from birth.
“Together, we can address today’s inequalities for the benefit of tomorrow’s generations, manage challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that population aging brings,” said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.
Longer life span globally
In 2021, the world has 761 million people aged 65 and over, this number will increase to 1.6 billion by 2050. The number of people aged 80 and over is even grow fasteh.
People are living longer thanks to improvements in health and medical therapies, greater access to education, and lower birth rates.
Globally, a child born in 2021 could live to an average of 71 years old, with women living longer than men. This is almost 25 years more than a baby born in 1950.
North Africa, Western Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are on track to grow the fastest in the number of elderly people over the next 30 years. Today, Europe and North America combined, have the highest proportion of this population.
inequalities in aging
Increased global life expectancy reflects better overall health.
However, the report points to inequality in our aging world, because Not everyone benefits equally from improvements in health and education are driving this transformation.
While many older adults are in excellent health or “positive economic activity,” others live with disease or poverty.
In more developed regions, pensions and other public transfer systems provide more than two-thirds of seniors’ consumption. Their colleagues in less developed areas tend to work longer and rely more on accumulated wealth or family support.
Furthermore, an aging global population also means an increase in the need for long-term carea weakness revealed in the process COVID-19 epidemic. Unfortunately, public spending in most countries is not enough to meet growing demand.
A lifetime of disadvantage
Life expectancy is strongly influenced by factors such as income, education, gender, ethnicity and place of residence.
Some combination of these factors often leads to systemic disadvantage starting very early in life, the authors note.
Without a containment policy, they warn, these systemic disadvantages will reinforce each other throughout people’s lives, leading to widening disparities in old age.
As a result, moving towards the goal of 17 Sustainable development goals (SDGs) may be at risk, specifically SDG 10 on Reducing Inequality.
Change policies, expand opportunities
The report recommends that countries rethink long-standing policies and practices associated with livelihood and work.
Many governments have introduced opportunities for lifelong learning, as well as strengthening and making the most of multigenerational workforces.
They are also introducing a flexible retirement age to suit a variety of situations and personal preferences.
The pension dilemma
Authorities must also review social protection systems, including the provision of pensions.
A major challenge is maintaining the financial sustainability of public pension systems while ensuring income security for all older adults, including working workers, say the authors. in the informal sector”.
Other important factors relate to the expansion of decent work opportunities for women and other groups traditionally excluded from the formal job market.
The aim is to ensure their health in old age and expand the productive capacity of the economy.
The analysis shows that the significant contribution of the informal care sector to the formal economy should also be properly recognized.
