This book demonstrates that there are wide-ranging potential challenges in addressing issues associated with ageing populations in both developed and developing countries of the region. This book brings together local, national and regional perspectives on the ageing population and sustainable development nexus in selected countries in the Asia Pacific region. The countries selected in this book include a mix of developed and developing economies that all reflect strong trade, investment and migration linkages. While the Asia Pacific region is forecast to enjoy high growth in the coming decade, a recurring common policy challenge is addressing the ‘demographic time bomb’ posed by ageing populations and workforces (Montague et al., 2017). Consequently, this book focuses on strategic policies and practices of multiple stakeholders, primarily: governments, industry and education systems, together with, the range of aged care services providers – in more effectively addressing these key socio-economic challenges associated with the ageing population for sustainable development.

First Published in 2004. The Asia-Pacific region is now clearly witnessing the rapid ageing of many of its nations and Asia is already the region with, relatively, the largest number of older persons. This book focuses on the challenges that this demographic trend poses to economies and societies in the region, and the policies that have evolved to date to meet new demands. It looks forward over the coming decades to consider how societies and economies will deal with ageing and the necessary structural and behavioural changes that this will entail. The book is organized into two main sections. The first introduces the key features, demography, research and long-term care issues of the region, and provides region-wide context and analysis. The second section offers in-depth case studies of thirteen countries, including China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia. As well as providing a wealth of original research material, the book also offers valuable comparative analysis: while the larger economies have had to develop policies to maintain their social and economic successes in the face of demographic ageing, developing countries must find ways to build their economies around an ageing population. With contributors drawn from a range of academic and professional disciplines, including many practising social gerontologists, this book will be of interest to scholars in economics, sociology, social policy, health policy, politics and development studies. With its particular emphasis on the future, it will also be an essential reference for anybody with a professional interest in policy-making in the region.

The Asia-Pacific region is undergoing profound and rapid population changes. All countries in Asia and the Pacific are in the process of ageing at an unprecedented pace, although the timing and pace of this transition varies across the region. The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) is the global guiding document on population ageing, and with its round of third review and appraisal, this publication explores the progress made by countries in implementing MIPAA, addressing the challenges and issues faced by different countries.

In the coming decades, challenges and risks associated with rapid population ageing will be paramount in Asia-Pacific. Examining key trends, dilemmas and developments with reference to specific nations, the book draws conclusions and policy recommendations that apply to Asia-Pacific as a whole. Individual chapters focus on the impact of population ageing, along with urbanization and industrialization, on the lives of people in the region. The book shows how leaders in Asia-Pacific – political, community and others – need to respond to changes in family and social structures, disease pathology, gender roles, income security, the care of older citizens and the provision of social and health welfare.

The case studies in this book focus on the emergence, extent and nature of national policies on ageing and associated strategies to address long-term care needs. Key opportunities for and constraints on policy are identified in this first round of regional studies.

In many countries across the Asia Pacific region, people are adapting to the new demographic shift, but there is nonetheless much concern. This book documents the various educational approaches rendered by both public and private sectors to enable elderly individuals in their own countries to re-engage in society more inclusively, to stay longer in the labour market, and to become less dependent on the state or their families. In order to produce active, healthy, and productive aging citizens, the experiments showcased by this book highlight how adaptive action is needed across many policy areas, with emphasis on shaping structural differences in the composition and organisation of higher education systems that can better foster lifelong learning among elderly citizens. The book is a great venue to underline the interplay of the theory and practices of vastly complex challenges.

This book brings together the emerging body of work on age-friendly neighbourhoods in Singapore, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and North America. It begins with an overview chapter on the current state of policy, practice and research on age-friendly neighbourhoods in Singapore. This is followed by an annotated bibliography of published materials on age-friendly neighbourhoods in the above-mentioned countries and regions, encompassing theoretical work and empirical research reported on in journal articles, books and conference proceedings. The annotations for Singapore also map the grey literature, including unpublished dissertations and theses. The aim is to provide a sense of the scope of, issues in, and discourse on age-friendly neighbourhoods, the development of which is increasingly being recognised as a key strategy to support healthy ageing and enhance quality of life in ageing societies.