How will the world handle an aging population?

10:15 AM, October 24, 2012

Volunteer driver Zan Ceeley (right) escorts Delores Alvous to a health clinic at Bethel Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 5, 2011. Ceeley volunteers for Nokomis Health Seniors and supplies rides to people who don't drive or lack access to other forms of transportation. (MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel)

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How will the world handle an aging population? (program audio)

On the radio

Neil Howe: Founding partner and president of LifeCourse Associates and senior associate in the Global Aging Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Michael Herrmann: Adviser on population and economics with the United Nations Population Fund and member of the United Nations lead economist network
Dan Buettner: Explorer and best-selling author. He writes about longevity and living well for National Geographic. His latest book is "Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way"

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Within 10 years, the number of people in the world over age 60 will exceed 1 billion. But a new report from the United Nations Population Fund says that developing countries are not prepared to support so many seniors. The report calls for new approaches to dealing with healthcare, workforce and retirement issues, living arrangements and intergenerational relations.

From the report (PDF):

Population ageing also presents social, economic and cultural challenges to individuals, families, societies and the global community. As United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon points out in the Preface to the report, "the social and economic implications of this phenomenon are profound, extending far beyond the individual older person and the immediate family, touching broader society and the global community in unprecedented ways". It is how we choose to address the challenges and maximize the opportunities of a growing older population that will determine whether society will reap the benefits of the "longevity dividend".

With two people turning 60 each second, how can the world tackle this issue?

Neil Howe, founding partner and president of LifeCourse Associates and senior associate in the Global Aging Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, will join The Daily Circuit Wednesday. Michael Herrmann, adviser on population and economics with the United Nations Population Fund and member of the United Nations lead economist network, and best-selling author Dan Buettner will also join the discussion.

VIDEO: Aging in the 21st Century