THE OLD-OLD POPULATION
Posted by recep on March 26th, 2009Another important demographic index relates to the proportion of elderly persons > 80 yr of age, who are categorized as the old-old. The proportion of those > 80 depends in part on the fertility patterns of 60 yr ago. In 1990, 14% of the elderly population worldwide (19% in developed and 11% in developing regions) were > 80 (see TABLE 106-1). Furthermore, the worldwide percentage will rise rapidly over the next 15 yr. Brazil’s old-old population will grow fastest, followed by that of China, Japan, and Bulgaria (see TABLE 106-2). However, by the end of this century, the USA will have the largest proportion of old-old population, with 31% of its elderly being > 80 yr old. <
The old-old require disproportionately more health and social services. Given the costs of properly caring for all older persons, the challenge to already overburdened societies will be immense. In some African countries, where the AIDS epidemic is ravaging the population of young adults, some authorities believe that within a decade, the very young and the elderly will make up the largest part of the population.
