Today, for the first time in history, most people can expect to live into their 60s and beyond. A longer life represents an important opportunity, not only for older people and their families, but also for societies as a whole. Additional years provide the chance to pursue new activities such as further education or a long-neglected passion, while continuing to make valuable contributions to family and community. Yet the extent of these opportunities depends heavily on one factor: health.

Fact 1: The world’s population is rapidly ageing

The number of people aged 60 years or older will rise from 900 million to two billion between 2015 and 2050 (moving from 12 per cent to 22 per cent of the total global population). Population ageing is happening more quickly than in the past. For example, while France had almost 150 years to adapt to a change from 10 per cent to 20 per cent in the proportion of the population that was older than 60 years, places like Brazil, China and India will have slightly more than 20 years to make the same adaptation.

Fact 2: There is little evidence that older people today are in better health than their parents

The proportion of older people in high-income countries needing help from another person to carry out basic activities such as eating and washing may have declined slightly over the past 30 years. However, there has been little change in the prevalence of less severe limitations in functioning.

Fact 3: The most common health conditions in older age are non-communicable diseases

Older people in low- and middle-income countries carry a greater disease burden than those in the rich world. Regardless of where they live the biggest killers of older people are heart disease, stroke and chronic lung disease. The greatest causes of disability are sensory impairments (particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries), back and neck pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries), depressive disorders, falls, diabetes, dementia, and osteoarthritis.

Fact 4: When it comes to health, there is no ‘typical’ older person

Biological ageing is only loosely associated with person age in years. Some 80 year olds have physical and mental capacities similar to many 20 year olds. Other people experience declines in physical and mental capacities at much younger ages.

Fact 5: Health in older age is not random

Although some of the variations in older people’s health reflect their genetic inheritance, most is due to their physical and social environments, and the influence of these environments on their opportunities and health behaviour. Importantly, these factors start to influence ageing from childhood. This means that an older person from a disadvantaged background is both more likely to experience poor health and less likely to have access to the services and the care that they may need.

Source: World Health Organization