Vanessa Steinmayer

Population Affairs Officer, Sustainable Demographic

Transition Section, Social Development Division,

ESCAP

Informal subregional consultation of countries in North and Central Asia

on the Fourth Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of

Action on Ageing: Check-in and coordination between ESCAP and ECE

29 October 2021, Virtual meeting

Population Ageing in Asia and the

Pacific

There are more than 630 million older persons in the Asia-Pacific region in 2020

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019).

World Population Prospects 2019 . Accessed 23 April 2021.

In the Asia-Pacific region, many countries experience rapid population ageing

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects 2019, Online Edition. U.S. Census Bureau, International

Population Reports (2009), An Aging World: 2008. Accessed 23 April 2021

Number of years for the share of the population 65+ to increase from 7 to 14 per cent

15

19

20

20

21

23

25

26

26

27

30

32

33

36

39

40

45

45

45

52

53

54

61

65

69

85

115

Azerbaijan (2020-2035)Republic of Korea (1998-2017)

Singapore (2001-2021)Viet Nam (2014-2034)Thailand (2000-2021)Sri Lanka (2003-2026)

Brazil (2010-2035)China (1998-2024)Japan (1968-1994)

Uzbekistan (2027-2054)Turkey (2004-2034)

Armenia (1992-2024)Turkmenistan (2028-2061)

Kyrgyzstan (2028-2064)Russian Federation (1964-2003)

Tajikistan (2044-2084)Poland (1966-2011)

Spain (1947-1992)United Kingdom (1930-1975)

Georgia (1950-2002)Hungary (1944-1994)

Kazakhstan (1993-2047)Australia (1938-2011)Canada (1944-2009)

United States (1944-2013)Sweden (1890-1975)

France (1865-1980)

Priority Directions, Issues and Objectives of MIPAA

Pillar I:Older persons and development

Pillar II:

Advancing health and well-being into old age

Pillar III:

Ensuring enabling and supportive environments

1. Active

participation in

society and

development

2. Work and the

ageing labour force

4. Access to

knowledge,

education, training

3. Rural

development,

migration,

urbanization

6. Eradication of

poverty

5. Intergenerational

solidarity

7. Income security,

social

protection/social

security, poverty

prevention

8. Emergency

situations

1. Health promoting

and well-being

throughout life

2. Universal and

equal access to

health-care services

5. Mental health

needs of older

persons

6. Older persons with

disabilities

3. Older persons and

HIV/AIDS

4. Training of care

providers and health

professionals

3. Neglect, abuse and

violence

1. Housing and the

living environment

2. Care and support

for caregivers

4. Images of ageing

In the Asia and Pacific region, most older persons 60+ are women, 2020

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

100+

95-99

90-94

85-89

80-84

75-79

70-74

65-69

60-64

55-59

50-54

45-49

40-44

35-39

30-34

25-29

20-24

15-19

10-14

5-9

Percentage

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects 2019 - Special Aggregates, Online Edition. Rev 1; United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019).

Older persons participate in the labour force

in many countries – less so in NCA

Daeng Starch (76) lost her legs and fingers due to leprosy. Despite her disability and deprivation she was treated with stitches so she could keep working with clothes, pillow cases and flags at her home in the leprosy complex at Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo by: Masyudi FirmansyahSource: ILO, ILOSTAT, Online database, Accessed 23 April 2021.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Arm

en

ia

Kaza

kh

stan

Tajikis

tan

Aze

rbaijan

Ho

ng

Ko

ng

, C

hin

a

Mo

ng

olia

Tu

rkm

en

ista

n

Kyrg

yzs

tan

Uzb

ekis

tan

Tu

rkey

Bru

nei D

aru

ssala

m

Sam

oa

Myan

mar

Maca

u, C

hin

a

Iran

, Is

lam

ic R

ep

ub

lic

of

Au

stra

lia

Ind

ia

Ch

ina

Sri

Lan

ka

Pap

ua N

ew

Gu

inea

To

ng

a

New

Zeala

nd

Th

ailan

d

Pakis

tan

Vie

t N

am

Mala

ysi

a

Mald

ives

Fiji

Ban

gla

desh

Sin

gap

ore

Lao

PD

R

Ph

ilip

pin

es

Ko

rea, R

ep

ub

lic

of

Bh

uta

n

Geo

rgia

Cam

bo

dia

Ind

on

esi

a

Nep

al

Van

uatu

So

lom

on

Isl

an

ds

Tim

or-

Lest

e

Perc

en

tag

e

Labour force participation of population aged 65+,

total, men and women, 2019

(ILO modelled estimates)

Total Female Male

Work in Asia and the Pacific is often informal – limited

social protection

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ban

gla

desh

Ind

ia

Myan

mar

Nep

al

Ind

on

esi

a

Lao

PD

R

To

ng

a

Pakis

tan

Sri

Lan

ka

Vie

t N

am

Kyrg

zsta

n

Th

ailan

d

Van

uatu

Mald

ives

Arm

en

ia

Kir

ibati

Fiji

Bru

nei D

aru

ssala

m

Geo

rgia

Mo

ng

olia

Sam

oa

Mars

hall Isl

an

ds

Perc

en

tag

e

Informal employment, males and females, latest available year

(percentage of total non-agricultural employment)

Male Female

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database . SDG Indicator 8.3.1 – Proportion of informal employment in total employment by sex

and sector (%) – Annual (Economic Activity: Non-agriculture) Accessed 23 April 2021.

Pension coverage is low in Asia and the Pacific –higher in several NCA countries

Source: ILO, World Social Protection Data Dashboards, online. Accessed 21 April 2021

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Perc

en

tag

e

Legal coverage of old age mandatory contributory pensions, as percentage of working age population

(Latest available year)

Female Total Male

Pillar I:Older persons and development

Pillar II:

Advancing health and well-being into old age

Pillar III:

Ensuring enabling and supportive environments

1. Active

participation in

society and

development

2. Work and the

ageing labour force

4. Access to

knowledge,

education, training

3. Rural

development,

migration,

urbanization

6. Eradication of

poverty

5. Intergenerational

solidarity

7. Income security,

social

protection/social

security, poverty

prevention

8. Emergency

situations

1. Health promoting

and well-being

throughout life

2. Universal and

equal access to

health-care services

5. Mental health

needs of older

persons

6. Older persons with

disabilities

3. Older persons and

HIV/AIDS

4. Training of care

providers and health

professionals

3. Neglect, abuse and

violence

1. Housing and the

living environment

2. Care and support

for caregivers

4. Images of ageing

Priority Directions, Issues and Objectives of the MIPAA (continued)

In the Asia-Pacific region, older persons often spend up to 10 years with impairments

Source: WHO, Global Health Observatory data repository (2019). Accessed 23 April 2021.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

KiribatiMicronesia (Federated States of)

AfghanistanPapua New Guinea

VanuatuSolomon Islands

PakistanMongolia

FijiMyanmar

Lao People's Democratic RepublicTimor-Leste

CambodiaTurkmenistan

PhilippinesIndia

NepalRussian Federation

TajikistanSamoa

IndonesiaKazakhstan

Viet NamTonga

BhutanDemocratic People's Republic of Korea

UzbekistanKyrgyzstan

BangladeshMalaysiaSri Lanka

Brunei DarussalamThailand

Iran (Islamic Republic of)China

TurkeyNew Zealand

MaldivesAustralia

Republic of KoreaSingapore

Japan

Male

Years

Female

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

AfghanistanKiribati

PakistanMicronesia (Federated States of)

Papua New GuineaSolomon Islands

VanuatuIndia

FijiLao People's Democratic Republic

Timor-LesteNepal

SamoaMyanmar

CambodiaTajikistan

BhutanIndonesiaMongolia

PhilippinesTurkmenistan

BangladeshTonga

UzbekistanBrunei Darussalam

Iran (Islamic Republic of)Democratic People's Republic of Korea

MalaysiaKazakhstan

Russian FederationKyrgyzstan

Sri LankaViet Nam

TurkeyChina

MaldivesThailand

New ZealandAustralia

Republic of KoreaSingapore

Japan

Life expectancy at birth (dark colour) vs. Healthy life expectancy at birth (light colour), 2019

Pillar I:Older persons and development

Pillar II:

Advancing health and well-being into old age

Pillar III:

Ensuring enabling and supportive environments

1. Active

participation in

society and

development

2. Work and the

ageing labour force

4. Access to

knowledge,

education, training

3. Rural

development,

migration,

urbanization

6. Eradication of

poverty

5. Intergenerational

solidarity

7. Income security,

social

protection/social

security, poverty

prevention

8. Emergency

situations

1. Health promoting

and well-being

throughout life

2. Universal and

equal access to

health-care services

5. Mental health

needs of older

persons

6. Older persons with

disabilities

3. Older persons and

HIV/AIDS

4. Training of care

providers and health

professionals

3. Neglect, abuse and

violence

1. Housing and the

living environment

2. Care and support

for caregivers

4. Images of ageing

Priority Directions, Issues and Objectives of the MIPAA (continued)

In Asia and the Pacific, most older persons (65+) live with their children – but this is changing

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

New

Zeala

nd

Ru

ssia

n F

ed

era

tio

n

Au

stra

lia

Iran

(Is

lam

ic R

ep

ub

lic

of)

Rep

ub

lic

of

Ko

rea

Kaza

kh

stan

Jap

an

Tu

rkey

Arm

en

ia

Ho

ng

Ko

ng

, C

hin

a

Maca

o, C

hin

a

Ind

on

esi

a

Mo

ng

olia

Vie

t N

am

Kyrg

yzs

tan

Uzb

ekis

tan

Ch

ina

Aze

rbaijan

Mala

ysi

a

Th

ailan

d

Myan

mar

Nep

al

Ind

ia

Cam

bo

dia

Ph

ilip

pin

es

Tim

or-

Lest

e

Mald

ives

Tajikis

tan

Fiji

Ban

gla

desh

Pakis

tan

Afg

han

ista

n

On

e-p

ers

on

ho

use

ho

lds

(perc

en

tag

e)

Females Males

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2018). Database on the Households

and Living Arrangements of Older Persons 2018, Accessed 8 October 2019.

… but more women live

alone than men

Percentage of population aged 65 or over living in

a one-person household, latest available year

Mobile phone use is high in the Asia-Pacific region – but less so for older persons

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Georgia Hong Kong,

China

Indonesia Iran (Islamic

Republic of)

Japan Kazakhstan Macao, China Singapore Uzbekistan

To

tal P

op

ula

tio

n (

perc

en

tag

e)

25-74 Male 25-74 Female 75+ Male 75+ Female

Individuals owning a mobile cellular telephone, by gender, percentage of population

of the respective broader age group, latest available year

Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database, 24th Edition, Accessed 23 April 2020.

COVID-19 pandemic impact on older persons

Life and deathSerious morbidity and mortality rates from COVID-19 are significantly higher among older persons. An estimated 66% of people aged 70 and over have at least one underlying health condition.

VulnerabilityEssential health-care and social support that older persons

often rely on is under pressure. Almost half of all COVID-19-related deaths worldwide have occurred in long-term

care settings.

Mental healthSocial distancing can take a heavy toll on

the mental health of older persons. Living alone and being more digitally

disconnected than others, the risks are higher for older persons

Abuse and neglectIn 2017, 1 in 6 people were subjected to abuse. With

lockdowns and reduced care, violence against older persons is on the rise.

RespondersOlder persons are not just passive victims. They are also responding. They are health workers, caregivers, and among many essential service providers.

Economic well-beingThe pandemic may significantly lower older persons’ incomes and living standards, compromising their overall access to health care and other health-related supports.

Source: United Nations, “Policy brief: the impact of COVID-19 on older persons” (May 2020) Available at https://www.un.org/development/desa/ageing/wpcontent/uploads/sites/24/2020/05/COVID-Older-persons.pdf

Areas of attention identified in recent views

Issues that continue to need attention

Social protection – esp. for older women

Older women and gender dimension of population ageing

Living and care arrangements – smaller families

Older persons in rural areas

Older persons and ICTs

Future of Work

Emerging Issues

Climate change and older persons

COVID19 – health, economic and social impacts

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For further information, please contact: escap-sdd@un.org

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