- The world has entered a major demographic transition: people aged 65 and older now outnumber children aged five and under, while their global share is projected to rise from 10.5% in 2025 to 19.6% by 2060. This growth is increasing pressure on healthcare, pensions, long-term care, caregiving, employment, housing, and social-protection systems. Governments are also confronting digital exclusion, age discrimination, elder abuse, unequal access to medicines, mental-health needs, and the need to include older adults in emergency planning.
Global ageing and longevity
- The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the global population aged 65 and over could nearly double by 2060, reaching about 2 billion people.
- South Korea is projected to become the world’s oldest country by 2060, with older adults representing approximately 41% of its population. Africa is also expected to experience a major rise, reaching about 249 million people aged 65 and over by 2060.census
- Longer lives are not necessarily translating into longer periods of good health. The Census Bureau says healthy life expectancy is not increasing as quickly as total life expectancy, raising demand for preventive healthcare, chronic-disease management, dementia services, rehabilitation, and affordable medicines.census
- The number of people aged 100 and over continues to grow globally, but the latest updates reviewed did not identify a single new worldwide centenarian milestone today.
Work, AI, pensions, and financial security
- Population ageing is shrinking the relative supply of workers and family caregivers, increasing pressure on employers to retain older workers, expand flexible employment, prevent age discrimination, and provide training for artificial intelligence and other technologies.
- Older adults’ labor-force participation has risen in many high-income countries, while some low- and middle-income countries have experienced declines. This strengthens the case for anti-ageism employment policies and opportunities for older people to participate in the longevity economy.census
- Public pension replacement rates vary sharply across countries, from more than 90% of average wages in some systems to around 50% in others. The global ageing trend is intensifying debates about retirement ages, contribution levels, pension adequacy, and Social Security stability.census
- In the United States, the Social Security retirement trust fund is reportedly projected to be depleted in the fourth quarter of 2032 under the 2026 trustees’ estimate, creating concern about future benefit reductions unless policymakers act.fortune
Healthcare, caregiving, and housing
- Government health spending in OECD countries is projected to grow faster than government revenues, creating long-term fiscal pressure on universal preventive healthcare, affordable medications, hospitals, home care, and long-term-care reform.census
- Unpaid family caregiving remains the main source of long-term care worldwide. The Census Bureau reports that three in five caregivers aged 50 and over in many OECD countries are women, highlighting the need for paid leave, respite care, caregiver benefits, and affordable professional support.census
- The latest global updates reviewed did not identify a single new worldwide agreement on affordable senior housing or age-friendly cities today, but population projections are increasing pressure for accessible homes, transportation, public spaces, and community-based services.
Digital access and protection
- Age UK reported that only 1.6 million people over 65 in England are fully digitally included, while 1.4 million are digitally excluded and 4.1 million are either partially excluded or offline. The organization called for sustained digital-skills support and legally protected offline access to essential services such as banking and healthcare.ageuk
- Age UK also identified online fraud fears, limited skills, disability, poor health, and financial hardship as important barriers to digital participation. The findings support stronger telecom protections, accessible technology design, face-to-face banking, scam prevention, and national elder-fraud enforcement.ageuk
- No confirmed global announcement establishing a “National Senior Fraud Task Force” was identified in the reviewed updates, so no company or agency name is included for that topic.
Safety, rights, and social connection
- A Russian strike near Kyiv killed at least 34 residents of a care home for older people and people with disabilities, according to HelpAge International. The organization called for emergency plans with accessible warnings, transportation, medical assistance, continuity of care, and suitable temporary accommodation.helpage
- The incident underscores the importance of climate and disaster resilience, mobility support, legal protection, dignity in care, and inclusion of older adults in humanitarian and civil-protection planning.helpage
- The current updates reviewed did not report a new global measure specifically covering end-of-life planning, centenarian rights, cultural participation, recreational engagement, migration mobility, or a worldwide anti-ageism law today. These remain significant policy priorities as populations age.
