April

International Population Reports

A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau, “Global Population Profile: 2002,” finds that the growth of the elderly population is projected to be faster than any other segment of the population in every region of the world.

• In 2002, the globe held 440 million people age 65 or over, approximately 7 percent of the total population.
  
  
• In the future, the size of the elderly population is projected to increase rapidly, almost doubling by 2020 and more than tripling by 2050.
  
  
• Similarly, the relative size of the elderly population is expected to grow to over 9 percent in 2020 and to almost 17 percent by 2050. This growth is due primarily to historical declines in fertility and the general aging of the population.
  
  
• The population ages 65 and over is expected to grow very rapidly in all parts of the world, especially in Eastern Europe and the Developed World.
  
  
• As a result of AIDS, In less than 10 years, some countries are projected to see life expectancies fall to nearly 30 years of age, levels not seen since the beginning of the 20th century.