By Sabine Henning
Chief, Sustainable Demographic Transition Section, Social Development Division, UNESCAP
Vanessa Steinmayer
Population Affairs Officer, UNESCAP
Napaphat Satchanawakul
Social Affairs Officer, UNESCAP
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Population Aging in Asia and the Pacific
Asia and the Pacific is home to 503 million people age 65 and older, representing 10.5 percent of the region’s total population. About 60 percent of the world’s older population lives in the region. It is projected that by 2050, there will be almost one billion older individuals in Asia and the Pacific, or about 1 in 5 people in the region. In other words, one in every 15 people worldwide at this time is an older person from Asia and the Pacific, and by 2050 it will be one in 10.
The rapid growth in the share and number of older people in Asia and the Pacific (fig. 1) is due
primarily to unprecedented declines in fertility and mortality occurring much faster than in other world regions.
Given the sheer number of older persons in the region, what happens to them will shape global trends. Moreover, because population aging is happening so quickly, countries in the region have little time to address its challenges and opportunities.
Population aging is, in many ways, a human success story — the result of scientific advances, improved public health, and overall socioeconomic development. It presents challenges that are exacerbated when it happens quickly and affects large numbers of people. But it also offers opportunities, and when addressed in a forward-looking way, it can result in inclusive and sustainable societies of all ages.
Asia and the Pacific is highly diverse in terms of geography, economic and social development, and demographic trends, and aggregate regional figures mask greater variation at the national and subnational levels. However, the general trend is clear: Population age structures are shifting towards a greater number and share of older persons. Importantly, the onset, duration, and speed of population aging varies by country, and specific challenges and opportunities differ accordingly.
Aging on the Agenda of Governments
Countries in the region have recognized population aging as a regional megatrend and the consequent importance of active and healthy aging policies, programs, and action plans. At the Fourth Asia-Pacific Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2022, Member States of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) called for developing, strengthening, and implementing comprehensive and integrated policy frameworks that mainstream population aging into national development strategies and plans, using a human rights-based and people-centered approach. ESCAP’s analysis suggests that almost all countries in Asia and the Pacific have policies or action plans for older persons. Moreover, there are sectoral policies and programs that include older persons in some way, such as those focusing on population and development, housing, education/lifelong learning, or health. However, policies and action plans can differ regarding scope, coverage, timeliness, and political commitment as well as context-specific variables such as demographic situation, economic and social development, and geography. The process of developing, implementing, and monitoring such policies and action plans can also differ by country due to the involvement of government entities and relevant stakeholders (including older persons); the level of alignment with global, regional, subregional and national guiding documents; frameworks and mandates; or the commitment of the government. Regional cooperation and partnerships provide an opportunity for countries to learn from each other regarding mandates, good practices, urgency, and needs, and to develop policies and action plans according to country-specific contexts and circumstances.
This repository (fig. 2) also contains a database of good practices of policies and action plans and a dashboard of timely and publicly available data on the situation of older persons.
Developing a Repository of Policies and Dashboards of Good Practices and Data
As the Asia-Pacific development arm of the United Nations Secretariat, ESCAP, provides a platform for sharing experiences and good practices, and offers a venue for facilitating collaboration on issues related to South-South and triangular cooperation. Following the Fourth Asia-Pacific Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2022, ESCAP developed a publicly available repository of policies, programs, and action plans focusing on older persons from countries in the region (see: https://www.population-trends-asiapacific.org).
The repository currently includes 34 countries or areas of the Asia-Pacific region. Information was collected from member States’ responses to the surveys administered by ESCAP for the Third and Fourth Asia-Pacific Reviews and Appraisals of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and from other publicly available resources.
The database of good practices on aging is categorized by the priority areas of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and the outcomes of the Fourth Asia-Pacific Review and Appraisal with additional sub-categories. There are examples from 25 countries and areas in the Asia-Pacific region, covering all subregions. Those most frequently cited are Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Türkiye which tend to be further advanced in population aging and overall socioeconomic development. Most good practices are from the domain “older persons and development.” The database is being continuously updated, so the number of countries and subregional representations are subject to change. As of August 2024, 119 good practices were documented in the database. Government focal points on population aging are regularly invited to review entries in the policy repository and to submit their own policies and good practices.
Work on the repository and dashboards is ongoing, with the intention of developing a one-stop online platform of data and policies, programs, and action plans on population aging for countries in Asia and the Pacific. It can be used to support countries in developing and revising their policies on older persons and in designing good practices. ESCAP is consulting with government focal points on aging regarding the content and functionality of the repository and dashboards, and the focal points have been invited to provide regular updates. ESCAP has also organized numerous capacity building workshops for users of the platform.
Outcome document of the Fourth Review and Appraisal of MIPAA in Asia and the Pacific, 2022
“We, the representatives of members and associate members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific … recommend …to promote policies and national action plans to prepare for and respond to population aging throughout the life course, to strengthen intergenerational solidarity to build societies for all ages, to raise public awareness on the rights, issues and challenges of old age and aging, and to recognize the contributions that older persons make to their families, local communities and nations.”
Going Beyond the Repository and Dashboards
Based on information collected through 2023, ESCAP published a practical guide on developing and revising policy documents on older persons. Currently, ESCAP is reviewing the policies and good practices, and developing a “policy radar” to help countries assess themselves and develop good practices. The “policy radar” will take account, for example, of overall population coverage, focus, need, sustainability, global and regional mandates as well as contextual variables.
The online platform will be used in compiling policies and action plans and in supporting member States in evaluating their policies in preparation for the Fifth Asia-Pacific Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action, tentatively scheduled for 2027.
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1 For a definition of the Asia and the Pacific region, see: ESCAP Members and Associate Members | ESCAP (https://www.unescap.org/about/member-states)
2 ESCAP (2022). Outcome document - Accelerating Implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002, to Build a Sustainable Society for All Ages in Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP/MIPAA/IGM.3/2022/3/Add.1.
3 United Nations, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) (2023). A Practical Guide for Developing and Revising Policy Documents on Older Persons in Asia and the Pacific. (ST/ESCAP/3007).
4 Integrated care for older people (ICOPE): Guidance for person-centered assessment and pathways in primary care. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019. https://www.paho.org/en/documents/integrated-care-older-people-icope-guidance-person-centered-assessment-and-pathways
5 More information about the series, The Decade of Healthy Aging in the Americas: situation and challenges, at: https://www.paho.org/en/series-decade-healthy-aging-americas-situation-and-challenges
6 More information at: https://campus.paho.org/en/course/health-care-older-persons-acapem-basic-level
7 Let’s Go! Steps for engaging older people and improving communities for all ages. PAHO, HelpAge International and AARP, 2022. https://www.aarpinternational.org/file%20library/unassigned/lets-go-guide.pdf
The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official positions of the United Nations.