BANGKOK: Malaysia is not the only Asean country that needs to address the ageing population issue as Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia also face the same challenge.
The Asean Post said, for Singapore, those over 65 are expected to reach 26.6 per cent in 2035, with Thailand at 22.8 per cent.
“The International Monetary Fund forecasts Thailand’s old-age dependency ratio to rise to more than 50 per cent by 2050.”
Malaysia’s Statistics Department said the country would become an ageing society by 2030 when 15 per cent of its population will be 60 and above.
In Vietnam, statistics showed it has 11.3 million seniors, with 1.8 million over 80 and the number to reach 20 per cent by 2038.
For Cambodia, the ageing population will be 11 per cent of the total population by 2030 and predicted to hit 21 per cent by 2050, the Asia Times said.
The test of caring for the elderly comes more into focus if it takes into account the larger Asian region where the number is expected to reach 1.3 billion.
“In a region where aged care has typically been provided by family members in the past, this demographic presents governments and service providers with a complex set of challenges,” said the South China Morning Post.