Ageing is a global phenomenon and the pace of population ageing is faster in developing countries compared to the developed world. People over 60 years of age are projected to reach one billion by 2020 and almost 2 billion by 2050 representing 22 percent of the world’s population.
The number of Bhutanese older adults (aged 60 years and above) is estimated to increase from 4.7 percent in 2005 to 11.2 percent in 2045, at the population growth rate of 1.8 percent. Improved health, economic growth, and increased access to education are said to have led to low fertility rates and longer life expectancy in every region of the world.
While population ageing in one sense represents a human success story, reflecting the benefits preventable causes of premature death, however, its steady growth presents many challenges to families, communities, and societies, particularly for sustainability of healthcare, pension and social benefits, and the preservation of quality of life and wellbeing.
[For more of this story, written by Nidup Dorji, go to http://www.kuenselonline.com/c...-to-quality-of-life/]
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