Viet Nam to become ‘very aging’ country by 2049

The country first entered the aging stage in 2011 when the number of people aged 60 and above accounted for 9.9% and the figure rose to 11.95% in 2018, according to Nguyen Doan Tu, Director General of the Department.

It is expected Viet Nam will be come a aging country by 2038, with 20% of the elderly, and very aging country by 2049 when the elderly will account for 25%.

Viet Nam is one of the fastest aging nations in the world. Many countries take decades to transform from a young population to an aging population (France 115 years), (Australia 73 years), and (China 26 years), while the process takes just 15 years in Viet Nam.

The country’s aging population is featured with gender imbalance (more elderly women than men), rising widowhood and celibacy among the elderly. The elderly people also face numerous difficulties as 68% of them are rural residents.

More than 72% of the elderly live with their offspring and traditionally the they have to rely on their sons and daughters. However, many Vietnamese people nowadays work and live far from their elderly fathers and mothers, thus the elderly become more vunerable due to the lack of nursing home or modest savings as they invest all of their money in their children’s education.

Although average life expectancy is quite high, at about 73 years but they only lead healthy lives to about the age of 64. About 96% of the elderly carry the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases. An elderly often suffers from three diseases on average while the healthcare system is yet to meet the rising needs of the elderly./.

By Quang Minh