Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Population Aging

1.1.1 Global Population Aging

The elderly are currently regarded as the fastest growing age group worldwide. Population aging becomes a global phenomenon. In the last several decades, the number of elderly people has been proportionally and consistently increasing. There were approximately 202 million people age≥60 years globally in 1950（Figure 1-1）. Thirty years later, the number of elderly population aged≥60 years had nearly doubled, and fifty years later people aged≥60 years had tripled across the world, reaching 610 million, constituting 10% of the entire population.

When 10% of the population are aged≥60 years or 7% are aged≥65 years, society is regarded as an“aging”; when this increases to 20% for those aged≥60 years, or 14% for those aged≥65 years, it is considered to be an“aged society”; and if individuals aged≥60 years comprise more than 30% of the total population, or individuals aged≥65 years comprise more than 21%, then a“super aged society”is developing.

Generally speaking, the process of population aging is due to extended longevity and low fertility. Figure 1-2 displays the proportion of the elderly population aged≥65 years in selected countries. Although the paces of aging are different, the rising tendency is clearly visible. Table 1-1 shows the years needed for selected countries to move the proportion of the elderly aged 65 years and above from 7% to 14%, in an ascending order. Most of today's developed countries have had decades to adjust to the changing age structure, with the earlier that the population aging occurred, the longer the transition from 7% to 14%. For instance, the percentage of elderly people in Sweden and France reached 7% in the nineteenth century. It took these two countries 85 and 115 years to complete the transition from 7% to 14%, respectively; while population aging in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States happened in the first half of the twentieth century, with 40 to 73 years were required to complete the process. Rapidly aging Japan is unusual among developed countries. The aged population in Japan accounted for only 7.1% of the entire population in 1970 but in 1994, a mere 24 years later, it had doubled in scale to 14.1%, which indicated an unparalleled pace compared with other countries; for China, the same transition is expected to happen in 25 years.

On one hand, this phenomenon reflects the advancement in medical technology and improvement in healthy behaviors; but on the other hand, it also brings many challenges to many aspects of the society, such as economy, policy and culture.

Table 1-1 International comparison of the speed of aging in selected countries

Source: Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.（2011）. “Act for partial revision of the longterm care insurance act, ETC. , in order to strengthen long term care service infra-structure”. Retrieved from http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/care-welfare/care-welfare-elderly/index.html.

Figure 1-1 Population aging in the world from 1950 to 2010

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.（2013）. “World population prospects: the 2012 version”. Retrieved from http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Excel-Data/population.htm.