It's no surprise the world's population is ageing - and October 1 is a time to reflect on what that means.
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The United Nations International Day of Older Persons is a call to action and a recognition of what older people bring to their communities - and the world.
This year's theme is Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World. That could also easily be Resilience of Older Persons in an Ageing World.
The figures are mind-blowing.
The world's population has changed dramatically. The United Nations says that between 1950 and 2010, life expectancy worldwide rose from 46 to 68. And in 2019 there were 703 million people aged 65 or more.
That number is projected to more than double, to almost 1.5 billion, in 2050.
The largest increase is expected to occur in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (from 261 million in 2019 to 573 million in 2050).
The fastest increase is expected in Northern Africa and Western Asia (from 29 million in 2019 to 96 million in 2050, an increase of 226 per cent), followed by sub-Saharan Africa (32 million to 101 million).
By contrast, the United Nations says, the increase is expected to be relatively small in Australia and New Zealand (84 per cent) and in Europe and North America (48 per cent), where the population is already significantly older than in other parts of the world.
The concerning part of this is that the fastest increase in ageing population is projected to take place in the least developed countries, which could become a global challenge as we grow nearer to 2050.
Rewriting the rule book
Meanwhile, in South Australia, Council on the Ageing (COTA) SA is on a mission to rewrite the ageing rule book and redesign what is considered the stereotypical life course.
In that state, people aged 50 and over comprise about 39 per cent of the population. That is expected to increase to about 47 per cent by 2041.
"Despite living longer and healthier lives, we are stuck with the stereotypes of older age that don't fit with our current reality," said the organisation's deputy president Anne Burgess.
"We need to grasp the opportunities of our longevity and throw out the rules of ageing that are getting in our way."
COTA SA wants older South Australians to participate in an online survey to share their experiences of ageing.
"We would love to hear about the diverse views and experiences of older South Australians ... to inform our policy and advocacy into the future," Ms Burgess said.
You can access the survey HERE
