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How Asia’s population is aging, 2015-2030 scenario
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The proportion of people aged 60 and over is projected to grow in all Asian countries with Japan and South Korea aging faster than their neighbors. Laos will remain the youngest nation in Asia. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he proportion of people aged 60 and over is projected to grow in all Asian countries with Japan and South Korea aging faster than their neighbors. Laos will remain the youngest nation in Asia.
Asia is on track to have the oldest population in the world in next few decades. Japan has the largest population of elderly people at 33.1 percent. It is projected that the elderly population in the country in next decade and more will grow by 37.3 percent.
South Korea is growing older faster than any other country. The older population is projected to grow from 18.5 percent to 31.4 percent by 2030. The country for the first time has more older people than younger people. It reached the cusp of becoming an older society much before its neighbors.
Thailand is the third rapidly aging country in Asia. Thailand’s population is projected to grow by 26.9 percent by 2030 which means one out of four Thais will be a senior citizen.
China’s one-child policy has resulted in the demographic transition the Japan way. The aged population is projected to grow from 15. 2 percent to 25. 3 percent. Analysts state that this will have a negative impact on China’s growing economy as the workforce will shrink faster than its overall population.
Sri Lanka has the fifth rapidly growing population of older people in Asia. The country’s older population is estimated to grow at 21 percent by 2030. Vietnam is also aging quickly with 17.5 percent people projected to be old by 2030 which means one-third of total population would be old. Country has proposed two child solution and increasing retirement age to increase the labor force in order to deal with burden of the aging population. Indonesia has the ninth rapidly growing population in Asia that will grow to 13. 2 percent by 2030.
India remains a young nation.It has currently 8.9 percent of older population. It is projected by 2030 the country will have 12.5 percent of the population that will be old. In 2008 India revised the scheme for older people to provide nursing care centers and respite care homes. Nepal will have 10. 8 percent older population by 2030
The Philippines and Bangladesh will see an increase to 10.3 and 11.5 respectively. Cambodia, Pakistan and Mongolia will have an increase in older population by 10.4, 8.4 and 11.9 respectively.
Laos will remain the youngest nation in Asia and is estimated to have just 8.1 percent population aged 60 and over by 2030.
