Population aging five times faster than population growth

TEHRAN –According to the latest census, the number of aged citizens in the country is growing by 3.62 percent which is five times faster than the total population growth rate, which is 1.24 percent.

In Iranian year 1385 (2006-2007), there were 5,121,043 men and women aged above 60. In 2015, 10 percent of the country’s population was older than 60, ISNA quoted Mohammad-Javad Mahmoudi, an official with the National Institute for Population Research.

In the next 30 years, the population aged 60 years or older is projected to hold a 32 percent share of the whole population, that is, the elderly will account for one-third of Iran’s population by 2050, the official noted.
Currently, men and women aged above 60 constitute some 11.5 percent of Iran’s population, an official with the health ministry has said.

For the time being, elderly women account for 52.3 percent of the total population, outnumbering men (47.7 percent), ISNA quoted Saber Jabbari as saying.

The aging of individuals signifies increased life expectancy. However, population aging demonstrates a shift in the distribution of a country’s population towards older ages which is not a favorable indicator. In other words, the number of young people in society declines in comparison to the elderly population.

It is one of the most important challenges facing the country.

Despite offering incentives to encourage childbearing in line with youth population law, the desired growth in the youth population has not been accomplished yet.

“At best, Iran’s population with a total fertility rate of 2.5 will reach 102,890,000 by the next seven years,” IRIB quoted Mohammad-Javad Mahmoudi, an official with the Civil Registration Organization, as saying.

In the last two years, the fertility rate has stabilized around 1.6 which has intensified concerns over the decreasing trend in population growth in the coming years, and the probability of turning Iran into one of the oldest countries in the world, the official highlighted.

Aging with dignity

Commemorated on October 1 each year, the International Day of Older Persons recognizes the contributions of senior citizens, raises public awareness about the challenges associated with aging populations, and highlights the needs to be met.

Iran observes the day as part of National Elderly Week which is held from September 28 to October 4.

To address the issue of aging population, a national plan was designed with the aim of changing health-related behaviors in middle-aged people and focusing on preventing disabilities caused by common problems in the elderly.

This year, the national week’s theme was ‘active aging for everyone’s tomorrow’.

 It is forecast that old individuals outnumber the youth population, particularly in developing countries, in seven years. Hence population aging, as a global trend, is reshaping societies worldwide.

The number of older people (defined as those aged 65 years or older) tripled from around 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021. Between 2021 and 2050, the global share of the older population is projected to increase from less than 10 percent to around 17 percent.

MT/MG