All countries need new social and economic policies to prepare for the reality of an aging world now, the United Nations said in a new report.
A couple hold hands in Tokyo on Oct. 1, 2022. Photo: David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
It doesn't mean countries with relatively young populations should delay the tasks of preparing for aging societies, because they will face the same reality in time, the report said.Better health care, greater access to education and family planning, as well as progress toward gender equality, have all contributed to much lower fertility rates over the last few decades.
However, an aging world also brings a set of unprecedented challenges, including more pressure on pension and health care systems, shrinking labor forces, and greater gender inequalities.The median age in Europe and Northern America was 40 years old in 2021 and is projected to climb to 46 years by 2050, per the report.
"Populations in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania , and Northern Africa and Western Asia will continue to have dominant shares of young dependents through the end of this century," the report said.The number of people aged 65 or older worldwide is projected to double over the next three decades, reaching 1.6 billion in 2050, or more than 16% of the global population by then, according to the report.
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