July 2, 2014 — Be prepared: The world is not only getting more crowded, it’s also getting older. A recent Pew Research Center report looked at population trends for the U.S., China, India and 20 other countries and surveyed public opinion about them. According to the report, by 2050:
- Three times as many people will be 65 or older
- Most people in Japan, South Korea and Germany will be over 50
- One in five Americans will be 65 or older
- Most countries will have more people over age 65 than under age 15
- The number of dependents (people under 15 and 65+) per 100 workers will grow to 66 in the U.S. and a whopping 96 in Japan
The opinion survey portion of the study found that almost 9 in 10 Japanese and 7 in 10 Chinese consider aging a major problem in their countries. Only a quarter of Americans consider aging a problem in the U.S. Potential challenges of aging cited by the report include economic slowdown and stressed social support system.
Learn more at Attitudes About Aging: A Global Perspective. Photo by Eric Montfort (Flicker | Creative Commons)
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