#YouthStats: Intergenerational Relations

  • In many places, the ratio of older to younger persons is set to increase dramatically leading to ageing societies, calling for new approaches in the workforce, socioeconomic and intergenerational relations.
    [UNFPA, 2012, http://bit.ly/1GIOmP9]
  • Older persons are projected to exceed the number of children for the first time in 2047 [DESA, World Aging Population 2013, 2013, http://goo.gl/M69LmN] 
  • By 2050, there will be more people aged 60 or over than adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years (2.1 billion vs. 2.0 billion). [DESA, World Population Ageing 2015: Highlights, 2015, p.1, http://goo.gl/dhMiuK]
  • 901 million — number of people aged 60 or over in 2015, projected to rise to 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 billion in 2050 [DESA, World Population Ageing, 2015, http://goo.gl/XY55RV] 
  • Virtually all countries are expected to see substantial growth in the number of older persons between 2015 and 2030, and that growth will be faster in the developing regions than in the developed regions [DESA, World Population Ageing 2015: Highlights, 2015, p.1, http://goo.gl/dhMiuK]

  • .

    Compared to other regions, many parts of Africa entered the demographic transition relatively recently, and thus the ageing process has only just begun: older persons accounted for just over 5 per cent of the population of Africa in 2015, but that proportion is projected to nearly double by 2050. [DESA, Population Facts, 2015, p.1, http://goo.gl/RWnQRj]

  • We need new approaches to promote equality and mutual productive exchange between generations, including offering full and effective participation in poverty eradication, employment creation and social integration programmes within their societies. [Sustainable Development Knowlege Platform, http://bit.ly/1SLsJ62]
  • Among today’s young people, survival to age 80 is expected to be the norm everywhere but in Africa. Worldwide, 60% of women and 52% of men born in 2000-2005 are expected to survive to their 80th birthdays, compared to less than 40% of the women and men born in 1950-1955. [DESA, World Population Ageing 2015: Highlights, 2015, http://goo.gl/dhMiuK] 
  • Intergenerational relationships can be fostered in families, communities and the society through promoting mutual, productive exchange between the generations. [UNDESA, 2013, http://bit.ly/1v0fLYM]
  • 7 workers per older persons globally will fall to 4.9 in 2030 [DESA, World Population Ageing, 2015, http://goo.gl/XY55RV] 
  • 29.6 years is the current median age, will increase to 36.1 years by 2050. [DESA, World Population Ageing, 2015, http://goo.gl/XY55RV] 
  • 6 out of 10 women and 5.2 out of 10 men born during 2000-2005 are expected to live to 80 [DESA, World Population Ageing, 2015, http://goo.gl/XY55RV] 
  • Solidarity among generations is a key element for social development. [UN Focal Point on Ageing]

PDF Version: Youth Stats: Intergenerational Issues