Population ageing is an overall change in the ages of a population. This can typically be summarised in a single parameter as an increase in the median age. Causes are a long-term decline in fertility rates and a decline in mortality rates. Most countries now have declining mortality rates and an ageing population: trends that emerged first in developed countries but are now also seen in virtually all developing countries. In most developed countries, population ageing started in the late 19th century. By the late 20th century, the world population as a whole was also ageing. The proportion of people aged 65 and above accounts for 6% of the total population. This reflects a historic overall decline in the world's average fertility rate. That is the case for every country in the world except the 18 countries designated as "demographic outliers" by the United Nations. The aged population is currently at its highest level in human history. The UN projects that the population will age faster in the 21st century than in the 20th. The number of people aged 60 years and over has tripled since 1950; it reached 600 million in 2000 and surpassed 700 million in 2006. It is projected that the combined senior and geriatric population will reach 2.1 billion by 2050. Countries vary significantly in terms of the degree and pace of ageing, and the UN expects populations that began ageing later will have less time to respond to its implications. Policy interventions include preventative strategies that increase the size of the young, working-age population, as well as adaptive measures to make overarching systems compatible with a new demographic future.
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Population ageing in the context of Ageing
Ageing (or aging in American English) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi; whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In a broader sense, ageing can refer to single cells within an organism which have ceased dividing, or to the population of a species.
In humans, ageing represents the accumulation of changes in a human being over time and can encompass physical, psychological, and social changes. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while memories and general knowledge typically increase. Of the roughly 150,000 people who die each day across the globe, about two-thirds die from age-related causes.
Population ageing in the context of German economic crisis (2022–present)
The German economic crisis is a significant downturn of Germany's economy that marked a dramatic reversal of its previous "labour market miracle" period of 2005–2019. The country, which had been considered to be Europe's economic powerhouse in prior decades, became the worst-performing major economy globally in 2023 with a 0.9% contraction, followed by further 0.5% contraction in 2024 leading to recession. Several economists, business figures, and other experts expressed concern that Germany's economic downturn could cause the nation to reclaim its reputation as the "sick man of Europe" from the 1990s. Economists stated that Germany's economy was in a permanent crisis mode, with the Handelsblatt Research Institute declaring that it was in its "greatest crisis in post-war history" after projecting a third consecutive year of recession in 2025.
This decline was attributed to multiple factors: A lack of urgency in diversifying its energy supply before 2022 leading to increased energy prices (coinciding factors include the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its nuclear power phase-out, slow pace of energy transition, and increased cost of fossil fuels partly due to tax increases), comparatively lower productivity due to slow adaptation of digital technologies, German politics (specifically the debt limitation, the CDU/CSU-filed application to the Federal Constitutional Court successfully deeming a €60 billion climate fund unconstitutional as well as the subsequent in-fighting within the governing Scholz cabinet) obstructing economic stimuli, global shifts in demand hurting the country's export-led economy while its higher internal real wage growth-led demand is delayed due to high cost of living, as well as a skilled worker shortage arising from demographic challenges such as population ageing, low participation of women in the workforce and slowing immigration to Germany.
Population ageing in the context of Ministry of Environment (Spain)
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for developing the government policy on fight against climate change, prevention of pollution, protecting the natural heritage, biodiversity, forests, sea, water and energy for a more ecological and productive social model. Likewise, it is responsible for the elaboration and development of the government policy against the country's demographic challenges (population ageing, territorial depopulation, floating population effects, etc.).
It corresponds to the MITECO the elaboration of the national legislation on waters and coasts, environment, climate change, meteorology and climatology; the direct management of the hydraulic public domain (all types of surface and groundwater), of the maritime-terrestrial public domain (territorial waters, inland waters, natural resources of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf, as well as beaches and coasts); the representation of the Kingdom in the international organizations corresponding to these matters; as well as the coordination of actions, cooperation and agreement in the design and application of all policies that affect the scope of competences of the regions and the other public administrations, encouraging their participation through the cooperation bodies and instruments adequate.