Population Matters Policy Brief: Preparing foran Aging World

Abstract

The world's population is aging at an accelerated rate. Declining fertility rates combined with steady improvements in life expectancy over the latter half of the 20th century have produced dramatic growth in the world's elderly population. People aged 65 and over now comprise a greater share of the world's population than ever before, and this proportion will increase during the 21st century. This trend has immense implications for many countries around the globe because of its potential to over-burden existing social institutions for the elderly. One popular view envisions global aging as a looming catastrophe, as populations top-heavy with frail, retired elderly drain pension and social security funds, overwhelm health care systems, and rely for support on a dwindling working-age population.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADA399247

Entities

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Africa
  • Age Groups
  • California
  • Developing Nations
  • Electronic Mail
  • Health Care
  • International Relations
  • Latin America
  • Lead Time
  • Nations
  • North Africa
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • Social Sciences
  • Social Security
  • United Nations

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