KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer – THE population of developed countries is ageing rapidly as people in those affluent societies live longer as a consequence of good nutrition and better health care, as well — a drop in the birth rate, reflecting more women in the workforce and the desire for fewer children. These twin trends have resulted in a major demographic shift in population structure with a higher percentage of these populations being over 60 years of age and a lower percentage of working age. Indeed, in some countries, the population is declining, eg Japan, and in others the population is just barely reproducing itself, eg Italy. Japan's rapid aging means its population of 128 million will decline by 1 million per annum; shrinking the number of Japanese by one-third by 2050, and people over 60 years old will account for 40 per cent of the population. The total number of workers in Europe is projected to decline by 15.7 million over the forecast horizon to 195.6 million in 2060. Life expectancy at birth is projected to increase from 76.7 years in 2010 to 84.6 in 2060 for males and from 82.5 to 89.1 for females. By 2050, over 50% of Europe's population will be over 65 years old.
