Policy Dialogue on “Adapting to Population Ageing in Asia: Social Participation and Employment Perspectives”

In the first session, Dr. Giang Thanh Long, an Associate Professor at Vietnam National Economics University, delivered the keynote presentation titled “Ageing Population in Asia: Opportunities and Challenges.” He explained demographic changes in Asia, making various connections with economic growth, the movement of peoples, poverty, health, and long-term care, among other topics. According to his presentation, the rate of population ageing in Vietnam is one of the highest in Asia. It is projected that the proportion of people aged 65 and over in Vietnam will double—from 7% to 14%—in just 15 years. In addition, because of the low GDP and low public expenditure on pensions and social insurance, income from labor is the leading source of income for older people in Vietnam. Facing the risk of disease and decline in physical ability, however, many older people still engage in unpaid work such as caring for grandchildren or volunteering, and Dr. Giang raised the question of how the government and civil society organizations will be able to respond to this situation. In his concluding remarks, Dr. Giang pointed out that whether ageing provides opportunities or challenges will depend on the approach that individual countries take. Developing policies that treat ageing as part of a natural and inevitable process (in Dr. Giang’s word, “flow”) is valuable not only for those who are already in the older age bracket, but also for future older generations (i.e., the youth of today). Policies for ageing should be part of national development policies that cover such important goals as economic growth, job creation, health care, education, etc., and should also be reconsidered over time, stated Dr. Giang.