FOREWORD

Aging is a global concern. Thanks to improvements in public health and medicine, the life expectancy of people in most parts of the world is increasing. The aged now account for a growing share of the total population of many countries. The impact of this phenomenon, often accompanied by declining birth rates, is being felt by both developed and developing countries alike. However, the understanding of the implications of aging societies remains in its infancy in many countries.

As people live longer and have fewer children, the number of workers per retired person is declining, thereby increasing the dependency ratio. The significantly older, unemployed population also tends to consume an increasing share of the national output by increasing total medical care and social security expenditures. This adds to the strain on society’s scarce resources. A healthy rate of real economic growth could alleviate the pressures created by these challenges, but the prospects of such growth are neither apparent nor uniform for all countries. The problems of an aging society can therefore be far greater for a developing country, although developed countries have not been able to escape their impact. All these signify the increasingly important role of higher productivity in all situations and all countries.

I am of the opinion that many of the challenges arising from the increasing number of the aged can only be dealt with by a multipronged approach centered on the family, the society, and the government. The authors of the papers in this publication also think along the same lines. Each author is convinced that no single agent acting alone can bring about a change in the present situation. Contributions from all three are necessary, with the family being the primary support system.

The individual chapters in this volume provide insights into each country’s approach to the issues and challenges of an aging society, outlining specific problems, programs, and policies. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the aging status of APO member countries and highlights the issues and challenges faced. Chapters 2–5 expand on the problems faced by participating member countries and elucidate how they are struggling to find effective solutions. The subsequent chapters describe practical solutions adopted by developed countries with aging societies, namely, Japan, the Republic of China, Singapore, and the USA.

This publication is the result of the APO study meeting on Productivity in Aging Societies held in the Republic of China in 2007. It is the first on the subject by the APO, and I hope it facilitates understanding of the various approaches and specific measures adopted by different countries to find ways of dealing with the impact of increased longevity and the challenges it poses to society and future generations. The APO would like to thank all the authors for their contributions and for making this volume possible.

Shigeo Takenaka, Secretary-General
Tokyo, July 2008