Older Populations Are a Fact of Life for Many Countries
November 27, 2012
Japan has the oldest population of any country.
I’m Barbara Klein.
And I’m Christopher Cruise with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. The number of young people in Africa is growing. So is the number of older people in Asia. In fact, the United Nations says that, very soon, every fifth person in the world will be over the age of sixty.
This week, we tell how some areas are dealing with changing populations.
How should countries prepare for the world’s aging population? A United Nations report is urging countries to answer that question.
Japan has the world’s oldest population. Thirty percent of Japanese are older adults. The UN report says by the middle of this century, sixty-four countries will have that level of the population over age sixty.
Jose Miguel Guzman is head of the UN’s Population and Development Branch. He says people are living longer for many reasons. They include improved nutrition, medical developments, better health care, education and economic well-being. But he says the fact that more people are living longer can create problems.
“Steep population aging also means an increased demand for income security, health and long-term care, which creates huge socio-economic and cultural challenges that will need to be addressed with a strong political and appropriate social policy.”
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