Is population ageing a social, economic or cultural problem?
JOSE MIGUEL GUZMAN: It is important to clarify that population ageing is not a problem in itself. It is a natural process. It is a consequence of an evolving societal process, which should be observed, understood and addressed. It is also wrong to identify ageing with issues linked to just old people or grandparents; it is an issue that should deal with all those who need help because of advancing age. Of course, this process has negative effects, but ageing is basically a result of demographic change and is rooted in positive developments like better healthcare leading to higher life expectancy and its ramifications. While this process was gradual in the developed countries, it has been and will be rapid in the developing countries (for example, by 2050, China is expected to have over 300 million people above the age of 60 – which is almost as much as the entire current U.S. population). Further, unlike the developed countries, developing countries do not have a social security system
Related Questions
- Are there any technological, economic, political, administrative, social and/or environmental constraints that are relevant to the problem?
- What part did current economic, social, cultural and even global issues play in this year’s color forecast?
- How does a country overcome the problem of ageing population?
