World

India, China have 1/3rd of world's population over 65

by Amitjha | July 21, 2009 at 10:31 pm

617 views | 18 Recommendations | 4 comments

Why Old Age is treated as Problem? Well there is economic reason behind that.But same economy particularly pharmascutical projects its growth base on the same principle of making you live longer than natural limit.
Insurance and Pension scheme are at two opposite end.
Well the problem is problem, as they presume, but where does the solution lie?

India and China account for one third of the world's total population older than 65 years of age and issues related to population

ageing in the two countries will be "accentuated" in the coming decades, according to the latest report of National Institute of Aging.

"The 65-and-older population in China and India alone numbered 166 million in 2008, nearly one-third of the world's total," said the report "An Aging World: 2008" of the US' NIA.

"Issues related to population aging in the world's two most populous nations will be accentuated in the coming decades as the absolute number climbs to 551 million in 2040 (329 million in China and 222 million in India)," it said.

Director of NIA's Division of Behavioral and Social Research Richard Suzman said for the first time in human history, within 10 years, there will be more people above 65 years of age and older than children under five in the world.

According to the report, while developed nations have relatively high proportions of people above 65 years of age and older, the most rapid increases in the older population are in the developing world.

The current rate of growth of the older population in developing countries is more than double that in developed countries, and is also double that of the total world population.

"As of 2008, 62 percent (313 million) of the world's people were 65 years of life and older lived in developing countries. By 2040, today's developing countries are likely to be home to more than 1 billion people 65 and over, 76 percent of the projected world total," the NIA report said.

It said the oldest of the old, people above 80 years of age and older, are the fastest growing portion of the total population in many countries.

Globally, the oldest old population is projected to increase 233 percent between 2008 and 2040, compared with 160 percent for the population 65 and over and 33 percent for the total population of all ages.

"The fact that, within 10 years, for the first time in human history there will be more people 65 and older than children under five in the world underlines the extent of this change," Suzman said.

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Roy C

at 07:04 on July 22nd, 2009

What used to kill us when you were an adult was bacterial infections leading to pneumonia and high blood pressure, for example.

Antibiotics killed off pneumonia's power to kill with such great frequency, and high-blood pressure medications have reduced strokes.

We live longer, and we have to work longer.

158

at 15:53 on July 22nd, 2009

Old people are not the real problem. The real problem is too many people.

Paschen

at 18:00 on July 22nd, 2009

This is a great post. I am sorry I did not see it before.It is a very important issue, in the Industrial countries where the majority is over 40, however in India and China as well as in Africa the problem is much more severe since the majority is under 14 and has no prospect nor future to look for due to a total over population.

Hugh Askew (not verified)

at 15:34 on July 30th, 2009

Let me think here.........hmmmmm.

6.75 billion people in the world, China & India combined have 2.4 billion (China 1,330,000+, India 1,150,000+) lemmeeesee here...errrr...add .....hmmm carry the...no, wait. 6,750,000 divided by 2,480,000....near enough....wait...i did it backwards .......................

2,480,000 divided by 6,750,000 = .36

Now, as you can see, i'm no wiz at math, but even a fool like me can see that China & India account for more than 1/3 the worlds population.

So tell me why they shouldn't "India and China account for one third of the world's total population older than 65 years of age.."??????

Great example of the reporter looking like he really knows what he's talking about - or not.

Then the bubbleheads nod in agreement, and say things like:

"The real problem is too many people"

"no prospect nor future to look for due to a total over population."

Of course, they got that "information" from the same type of news report they got this information from.