Day of Older Persons focuses on human rights

According to the United Nations, population ageing is an irreversible global trend. 

In 2021, one in 10 people worldwide were aged 65 or above. In 2050, it’s expected to be one in six. Here in Australia, it’s already one in six, and predicted to reach one in five by 2061.

As the doomsayers are already pointing out, that will mean fewer young people to support more old people.

But, of course, that’s just part of the picture. One of the reasons the population is getting older is that we have better health outcomes, and that means we are enjoying longer and more fruitful lives.

As we have seen in Australia, retirement ages have also crept up.

With International Day of Older People coming up on 1 October, it’s worth looking at the world’s changing demographics:

• Globally, babies born in 2022 are expected to live 71.7 years on average, 25 years longer than those born in 1950.

• Women tend to live longer than men and thus comprise the majority of older persons. In 1950, women could expect to live almost four years more than men globally. In 2021, the difference between the two had increased to more than five years.

• The number of individuals categorised as older working age (55 to 64 years) is projected to surge from 723 million in 2021 to 1.075 billion in 2050, and eventually to 1.218 billion by 2100.

The objectives of this year's International Day of Older Persons include increasing global knowledge and awareness of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its relevance to older persons around the world.

October will see events and activities tailored for seniors across three mainland states and Tasmania.

South Australia will hold its inaugural Week of Ageing Well from 1-7 October.

It’s being billed as “a time to connect with each other, celebrate life, value the older people in our lives, and discover new ways that can support us to age well”.

In Queensland, October is Seniors Month, which is being celebrated with activities ranging from Tai Chi and Zumba in the park to concerts and craft demonstrations.

Picnics, concerts, and talks are being held across Victoria all October during the Seniors Festival.

Tasmania’s Seniors Week will launch with a party at Riverside Football Club in Hobart on 15 October and run until 22 October.

In Western Australia, it will be Seniors Week from 12-19 November. The New South Wales Seniors Festival will be held in March 2024, the Northern Territory’s Seniors Month is in August, and the Australian Capital Territory’s Seniors Expo will be in September 2024.