Hello everyone, how are you? Have you heard about the aging of the world population? If you still don’t have information about this risk factor for society, in this article I will show details and explain better what it is and why it is important for society worldwide to take precautions for future situations.
We already know that humanity is growing at a staggering pace, but this is not the only challenge we have to face if we want to cross the eras to come without heavy and horrible sacrifices. To better understand this statement, just keep reading.
Table of Contents
Elders in the world society
We all know that aging is part of the life cycle of all living beings, whether plant or animal, we will all age and soon after die. But with the conveniences of society, this aging period has become much easier to reach than in times past.
What I mean is that society helps people reach much older ages than before, and at the same time, it helps this to happen much more frequently. Thus resulting in people living much longer and helping to increase the number of the world population just by their presence.
I am not saying that they are a nuisance; after all, they are the pillars of many families around the world and are often the most respected in them. But the problem is that at this age, usually after 65, people are no longer able to make efforts, as it may harm their own health.
Effects on society
Humanity is gradually aging, and this is an undeniable fact that often seems harmless to the eyes of uninformed people. After all, how would it affect people to age healthy and happy? Is aging a problem?
The world population is aging, and all countries around the globe are experiencing an increase in the number and proportion of elderly people in their populations. This fact is about to become one of the most significant social changes of the 21st century, with effects on nearly all sectors of society.
The labor market, the demand for resources to care for these people, and other sectors of the economy and society in emotional terms will all be affected. Next, I will cite an interesting fact from the World Population Prospects: the 2017 Revision, a survey on the projection of the world population.
Population data
It is expected that the number of elderly people – aged 60 and over – will double by 2050 and triple by 2100, rising from 962 million worldwide in 2017 to 2.1 billion in 2050 and 3.1 billion in 2100. Globally, the population aged 60 and over is growing faster than all younger age groups.
In 2017, it was estimated that there were 962 million people aged 60 and over in the world, accounting for 13 percent of the global population. This population is growing at a rate of about 3% per year. Currently, Europe has the highest percentage of the population aged 60 and over (25%).
And the whole world will experience this phenomenon, as by 2050 all regions of the world, except Africa, will have nearly a quarter or more of their populations aged 60 and over. That’s right, almost a quarter of the world population will be made up of elderly people; now let’s imagine the amount of money used to support these people.
Elderly contributing to society
We cannot deny the fact that society in general does not give due value to the elderly; this may be due to the fact that they are more delicate and physically sensitive than the young. But this is just a point of view. And it is starting to change gradually, with countries like Japan at the forefront of this change.
Elderly people are increasingly seen as contributors to development, whose abilities to act for the improvement of themselves and their societies should be integrated into policies and programs at all levels. In Japan, it is common to see elderly people in advanced ages doing some types of work.
In the coming decades, many countries will likely face fiscal and political pressures regarding public health, pension, and social protection systems for an older population. And this will generate the possible initiative to “recycle” these people who are distanced from contributing to society.
Fertility, mortality, and immigration
The size and age composition of a population are determined by a set of three demographic processes: fertility, mortality, and migration.
All regions have experienced substantial increases in life expectancy since 1950. As life expectancy at birth increases, improvements in survival at older ages are responsible for an increasing proportion of the overall improvement in longevity, which varies from country to country.
Although the decline in fertility and the increase in longevity are the main drivers of population aging worldwide, international migration has also contributed to changes in the age structures of the population in some countries and regions.
In countries undergoing large immigration flows, international migration may temporarily slow the aging process, as migrants tend to be of younger age. However, migrants who remain in the country will eventually age within the older population.
Japan’s statistics
Japan is a great example when it comes to population growth and aging. And it is the one we will analyze next, as we could not leave out the country that is the main focus of the site. But this does not affect the judgment about it in any way.
In 2017, this country had a population of 127.5 million people. Of these, 13% are aged between 0 to 14 years, and 14% are between 10 and 24 years, which is not very relevant. Now the fact that 27% of the population is aged 65 and over is a bit more striking.
This means that one in every four people you meet in Japan is an elderly person. I personally prefer the elderly to children and would not mind this fact for myself, but this is just my opinion and different opinions may occur.
Fertility in Japan and the World
Continuing with the data, fertility in Japan is also a risk factor as women tend to work just like men, and the government is divided between supporting women to have children or helping to cover the labor market deficit.
Policies of various types are made and proposed, but the government cannot give up one to support the other, which leaves Japan in a great dilemma. For this reason, they invest heavily in monitoring and treating their mothers.
And to confirm this, according to data from the UN, 100% of births in the country from 2006 to 2017 were assisted by qualified health personnel. This made the maternal mortality rate in 2015 stand at 5 for every 100,000 live births.
But the problem is not solved just with that. Because the fertility rate among Japanese women is around 1.5 children per woman. Since the population replacement rate is ensured, this rate cannot be lower than 2.1 children per woman.
Because the two children are the replacements for their parents, and the additional 0.1 has the task of compensating for those individuals who, for some reason, die before reaching reproductive age or any other interference, whatever it may be.
Main conferences on aging
To begin addressing these issues, the UN General Assembly convened the first World Assembly on Aging in 1982, which resulted in a Vienna International Plan of Action with 62 points.
In 1991, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, outlining 18 rights for the elderly. The following year, the International Conference on Aging met to follow up on the Plan of Action, adopting a proclamation on Aging.
Following the Conference’s recommendation, the UN General Assembly declared 1999 the International Year of Older Persons. And the International Day of Older Persons is celebrated every year on October 1st.
Action for aging continued in 2002, when the Second World Assembly on Aging was held in Madrid. Aiming to design an international policy on aging for the 21st century, it adopted a Political Declaration and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging.
Conclusion
This is a dilemma that the world needs to find ways to solve, as it is not a problem as long as it does not severely affect society in some aspect. This issue is still not worrying the authorities in the way it should, as its effects are minimal and often imperceptible.
But that does not mean it will remain this way for unlimited times, and the sooner they realize this, the smaller the future effects will be. The problem is that not many are even paying attention to this, which can be fatal over the years.
I am doing my part, but one swallow does not make a summer. Well, that’s all for this article, folks. I hope you enjoyed the information presented, and any questions, suggestions, criticisms, or anything of the sort, just leave your comment. Moreover, thank you, my dear reader, for reading this article up to here, and see you next time.
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