2024 REGISTRATION OPEN NOW
34th United Nations International Day of Older Persons
Ageing with Dignity:
The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for
Older Persons Worldwide
Monday, 7 October 2024 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters, New York and on UNTV
Population ageing is a major global trend that is reshaping the demographic makeup of societies
worldwide. This significant shift in population age structures results from decreases in fertility
rates and increases in life expectancy. Today, life expectancy at birth exceeds 75 years in half of
the world's countries or areas, 25 years longer than those born in 1950. Individuals reaching the
age of 65 are now expected to live an additional 16.8 years on average. In 2018, a historic
milestone was reached when the number of older persons outnumbered children under five for
the first time globally. By 2030, the global population of older persons is projected to exceed the
number of youth and double the number of children under five. This increase is anticipated to bemost rapid in developing countries.
Given this global demographic shift, the caregiving landscape is undergoing significanttransformations, encompassing a wide range of needs for both paid and unpaid support, in both formal and informal settings. Recent decades have seen shifts in living arrangements for families and older persons in both developed and developing nations. Combined with overall ageing trends, this has heightened demand for different forms of care provision. Amid rising demand for long-term care, growth in the number of caregivers is not keeping pace. As of 2015, there was a
global shortage of about 13.6 million formal care workers. These deficits translate to half of the
older population globally not having access to quality formal long-term care.