Because these nations are so poor, they will face even greater problems than the industrial world in paying for such care and for other programs and services their older citizens will need. One problem will involve paying for the increased health care that older people in these nations will require. Older people now constitute 15 percent of the combined population of wealthy nations, but they will account for 26 percent by 2050.Īs life expectancy rises in poor nations, these nations will experience special problems (Hayutin, 2007). In Uganda, for example, only 3 percent of the population is at least 65, compared to 13 percent of Americans and 20–21 percent of Germans and Italians. Not surprisingly, the nations of Africa have very low numbers of people 65 or older. Figure 6.2 “Percentage of Population Aged 65 or Older, 2011” depicts the percentage of each nation’s population that is 65 or older. These differences mean that few people in these societies reach the age of 65 that Western nations commonly mark as the beginning of old age. As a result, they have high rates of infant and childhood mortality, and many people who make it past childhood die prematurely from disease, starvation, and other problems. They suffer from hunger, AIDS, and other diseases, and they lack indoor plumbing and other modern conveniences found in almost every home in the wealthiest nations. ![]() This is true because, as Chapter 2 “Poverty” noted, the poorest nations by definition have little money and few other resources. What accounts for these large disparities? The major factor is the wealth or poverty of a nation, as the wealthiest nations have much longer life expectancies than the poorest ones. The world at 7 billion: World population data sheet: Life expectancy. ![]() Figure 6.1 Average Life Expectancy across the Globe (Years). Source: Adapted from Population Reference Bureau.
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