“Trends in Severe Disability Among Elderly People: Assessing the Evidence in 12 OECD Countries and the Future Implications”, OECD Health Working Paper No. 26, available at www.oecd.org/health
Grey new world
|
Click here for bigger graph |
The OECD has only been around for half a century, but is nevertheless an ageing club. Just before it was set up in 1960, only one in twelve people was aged 65 and over on average in OECD countries.
By 2005, this ratio had increased to one in seven. By 2050, the 65s and over will account for some 25% of the population in OECD countries. These projections, which are published in a working paper called “Trends in Severe Disability Among Elderly People: Assessing the Evidence in 12 OECD Countries and the Future Implications”, work on assumptions that gains in life expectancy will continue in the future, and that patterns of declining fertility will not revert rapidly. Also, future international migration of younger people is assumed to have only a limited contribution to changing population trends.However, while all OECD countries are experiencing an ageing population, there are large differences in the current and future population structures across countries. Based on current projections, a remarkable 40% of the Japanese population will be aged 65 or over in 2050. At present, one in five Japanese is in this age group. “Old Europe” is starting to reflect its billing, too, with almost 20% of Germans currently in the 65 and over bracket, rising to nearly 30% in 2050. Slightly ahead in the ageing marathon is Italy, with the Greeks greying in third. The OECD’s youngest countries, including the US but also Iceland, Mexico, the Netherlands and Turkey, will only reach the current ageing of the “oldest” countries by 2030.
“Trends in Severe Disability Among Elderly People: Assessing the Evidence in 12 OECD Countries and the Future Implications”, OECD Health Working Paper No. 26, available at www.oecd.org/health
“Trends in Severe Disability Among Elderly People: Assessing the Evidence in 12 OECD Countries and the Future Implications”, OECD Health Working Paper No. 26, available at www.oecd.org/health
Economic data
|
|||||||
OECD Observer Newsletter
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from the OECD by signing up for our e-newsletter :
Twitter feed
Digital Editions
Don't miss
-
-
The nuts & bolts of innovating:
Jamie Hyneman of Mythbusters -
The global tax rules are changing:
Pascal Saint-Amans, OECD tax chief -
-
-
Need a brainteaser?
Try the latest Observer Crossword Puzzle -
-
Interested in a career in Paris at the OECD?
The OECD is a major international organisation, with a mission to build better policies for better lives. With our hub based in one of the world's global cities and offices across continents. Find out more:- How do you measure a Better Life? The OECD has an interactive tool to evaluate well-being. Be a part of it. Create and share your Better Life Index.
Most Popular Articles
NOTE: All signed articles in the OECD Observer express the opinions of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the official views of OECD member countries.
All rights reserved. OECD 2020
Follow us