Active ageing

In the next 40 years the number of over 65 will grow of 12%

Description
The European Commission estimates that the number of people over 65 years will grow from 17.4% to 29.5% of the total population between 2010 and 2060 and that the number of people over 80 years will nearly triple to 12% over the same period. The working-age population in the EU is, however, expected to decline by 14.2% over that time and this will have a severe impact on welfare provision’. With lower birth rates and longer life expectancies, the proportion among young and old people in Europe is changing rapidly.

Active ageing is defined by the European Commission as ‘helping people stay in charge of their own lives for as long as possible as they age and, where possible, to contribute to the economy and society. The AAI, active ageing index is used to measure the untapped potential of seniors in the EU. ‘The index measures the extent to which older people can realise their full potential in terms of employment, participation in social and cultural life and independent living. ‘

Relevance
How does this change impact the industry? Older people can bring monetary value, yet there is still unaddressed discrimination towards age. Since 2012, the EU put an effort into changing this. However the topic is still not prioritized among businesses.