Population and Demography

World population continues to grow and is expected to peak at a level of almost 11 billion around the year 2100. Most of this growth will take place in low-income and lower middle-income countries.

Population lies at the heart of sustainable development, including efforts to create sustainable and equitable food systems. Population trends, including population growth, urbanization, changing age distributions, changes in health and mortality, rural-urban migration and international migration, are closely linked to many aspects of food systems. The Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) emphasizes individual rights and human development, especially for women and girls, as well as sustainable consumption and production. An evidence-based understanding of the interrelationships between demographic trends and food systems, food security and nutrition, as well as relevant policy responses, will be an essential input to broader international discussions of hunger, food security, nutrition and food systems in 2021, including at the high-level political forum on sustainable development, the United Nations Food Systems Summit and the Nutrition for Growth Summit.

To respond to demographic and societal changes, the effects of policies on men and women and on all generations have to be considered. Gender mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, for instance legislation, policies and programmes, prior to implementation. This allows the development of strategies in which concerns and experiences specific to women and men are an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.

Diverse demands and needs regarding care along with demographic change call for new care arrangements to better respond to individual needs. Too often older people are left out of decision-making processes and forced into a passive role when it comes to care. The central aim of this Policy Brief is to present innovative and empowering strategies for care that give the user more influence and power. The inclusion of new and empowering strategies into the care setting broadens the scope of care, increases care coverage and improves quality, efficiency and target group orientation. The aim is to help older persons remain active as they age and to enhance their quality of life and overall well-being with care services tailored to their needs.

The rapid increase in the oldest-old population aged 80 and over brings with it critical challenges for individuals, families, communities and policymakers. Finding innovative and sustainable solutions to help individuals of advanced old age to continue living at home independently is critical in the context of both demographic change and budgetary constraints. Reaching advanced old age takes a different form for different individuals, as their intrinsic capacity interacts with their living environment to affect their functional ability. Supporting such diversity in the experience of advanced old age requires smart, integrated and customized innovations, and result in resource efficiencies for the system of service provision.

Dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent across the UNECE region. The disease entails a progressive loss of cognitive capacity and eventual disability, which can result in deterioration of quality of life. Dementia has high social and financial costs, affecting people with dementia and their caregivers. People living with dementia are often discriminated against: their dignity is challenged today by many factors including the retrenchment of welfare resources, and the changing structure of families. The issue of dignity and non-discrimination of people with dementia has often been overlooked, however, due to their limited representation in public debates and the stronger focus of research and policy on issues such as welfare sustainability and the well-being of caregivers.

While people are living longer, it is important to improve the quality of every stage of life. Therefore, UNECE member States have committed to implement health policies ensuring that increased longevity is accompanied by the highest attainable standard of health1. In the coming years and decades, the number of elderly people in the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will rise sharply, challenging societies’ ability to care for those in need.

Realizing a society for all ages is the declared goal of Governments in member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. To this end, achieving the integration and participation of older persons in society are important elements. This policy brief outlines the main strategies that may be considered to increase participation of older persons in political and economic life and to improve their access to transport, appropriate housing and cultural activities. It highlights the importance of balanced intergenerational relationships based on mutual respect. Efforts may be made to reduce ageism and to destigmatize old age. The potential of volunteering may also be used – both in support of older generations and by the older generations themselves.

The UNECE region is experiencing a steady increase in the number and diversity of retired labour migrants and migrant eldercare workers. The international mobility of older persons is also on the rise. Yet the participation of migrants in the host communities and their access to welfare remains a challenging issue. Compared to native-born peers, older migrants are often more vulnerable to poor socio-economic and health status, social isolation and exclusion. Lower income, poorer working and housing conditions, including their concentration in low-income neighbourhoods, are among the factors affecting the life trajectories of many migrants. Migrant elder carers – independent of their age – often work informally without proper employment contracts and with limited access to health and social protection. There is, however, heterogeneity and variation in older migrants’ vulnerabilities and needs across and within ethnic groups, with consequent important welfare implications, which call for targeted policy responses at local, national, and international levels. A sound evidence base for such policy responses is lacking as older migrants are often overlooked in research, mainly due to a lack of data.

In an ageing society, one aim is to further enhance the social, economic, political and cultural participation of older persons. […] Older persons should therefore be recognized as a significant consumer group with shared and specific needs, interests, and preferences. Governments, service providers and civil society should take into account the views of older persons on the design of products and delivery of services.