Ageing world

We live in an ageing world. While this has been recognised for some time in developed countries, it is only recently that this phenomenon has been fully acknowledged. Global communication is "shrinking" the world, and global ageing is "maturing" it. The growing presence of older people worldwide is making people of all ages more aware that we live in a diverse, multigenerational society. It is no longer possible to ignore ageing, regardless of whether one views it positively or negatively. Demographers note that if current trends in ageing continue as predicted, a demographic revolution, wherein the proportions of the young and the old will undergo a historic crossover, will be felt in just three generations. This portrait of change in the world's population parallels the magnitude of the industrial revolution, traditionally considered the most significant social and economic breakthrough in the history of humankind since the Neolithic period. It marked the beginning of a sustained movement towards modern economic growth in much the same way that globalisation is today, marking an unprecedented and sustained movement toward a "global culture." The demographic revolution, it is envisaged, will be at least as powerful.