This presentation presents the first-ever overview of the wellbeing of older people around the world. It brings together internationally comparative data on older people’s income, health, education and employment, and how supportive they feel their environment is.
3. Increases in all regions
Source: UNDESA Population Division, Population Ageing and
Development 2012, Wall Chart, 2012; UNDESA Population Division,
World Population Prospects: the 2012 Revision, 2013
4. What is the Index?
• First-ever measure of quality of life and well-being of older
people around the world
• Uses the latest comparative and quantitative data available
internationally from World Bank, WHO, ILO, UNESCO and
Gallup World View
• Promotes better understanding of the circumstances of older
people globally
• Covers 89% of the world’s older people in 91 countries
• Is inspired by the Human Development Index and involves a
pioneering application of human development methodology
5. Why is the Index needed?
• Helps understand challenges and learn from success,
prompt more research and improved data collection,
especially in developing countries
• Provides easy access to existing globally comparable data
• A lens through which all countries can explore some basic
questions:
• Do we have a universal pension? If not why not?
• How does the health service deliver to people in later
life?
• What are the employment conditions and educational
status of older citizens?
• Why are views of older people necessary for successful
policy making?
6. Concepts
• Age disaggregated data is the key to give ageing visibility
• Policy responses on ageing should strengthen capabilities
and broaden opportunities of people of all ages
• Income security, good health, employment and education
and capacity to participate in communities are essential for
ageing well
• Index is built deliberately on human development principles
which put people at the centre of economic policy
• Domains and indicators chosen as they reflect views of older
people on issues most important to them
• Greater use of age specific comparative evidence is
recommendation within 2012 HelpAge/UNFPA report ‘Ageing
in the 21st
century – a celebration and a challenge’
10. Key Findings
• History counts - progressive social welfare policies for all
their citizens across the life-course
• Money is not everything –‘smart’ age-focussed spending
needed
• Ageing well requires action- social progress doesn’t
guarantee the wellbeing of all
• It’s never too soon to invest in ageing
• Income security for all older people is investment for all
generations
• Ensuring access to quality healthcare is vital
• Better data needed – lack of internationally comparable
data in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean
11. BRICS have 40% of world
population 60+ and 25% global
GDP
12. Region or country name
• Regional/or national Policy points add here
• eg African Union, UNESCAP, ECLAC, OAS
• Regional Development Banks
• Age Demands Action calls
• ADA 2013 highlights
18. Global, regional and national
policy relevance
• Post 2015 process - practical contribution to the “data
revolution” called for in the new development framework
• A global framework to measure progress on ‘leaving no one
behind’
• Keeping watch: the first steps in establishing a full
understanding of the lives of older people around the world
• Demonstrates need to improve international data sets on
ageing
• Regional or national point (add here)
19. Partnering for next steps
• Extend the Index to cover all countries, to refine and extend
its reach and coverage and to disaggregate data by sex
• Include domain on the political and civil rights of older
people
• Have data broken down by groups within each country -
rural areas, towns and cities, richer and poorer areas of a
country, different age groups of older people
• Constructing separate indices for older women and men
• Pilot in national contexts
• Explore how new data from national sources can develop the
Index further
• Set the standard for ageing well everywhere
The first ever Index to rank more than 90 countries across the world according to how well their older populations are faring. Add name of presenter and region
Overall lack of income security health access enabling environment The need for comparative data on ageing The need to present this data in a way that will engage policymakers, The need to help point to areas for policy actions This importance of comparable data from international sources
All domains are equally weighted, website allows people to vary weighting on line. See Insight (p.14/15) for detailed explanations of indicators. Methodology report expands on reasons and statistical methodology.
Money is not everything – correlating GAWI with GDP shows countries with similar levels of wealth perform differently on index indicating it is not just the level of wealth of a country that makes a different. Fast growing economies i.e. India, Brazil and China perform differently. (see p.20 in Insight report for more detail) Ageing well requires action: correlating GAWI with HDI shows increased HDI score doesn’t automatically mean older people benefit, targeted policies are needed. Never too soon – many countries are facing large scale increases in there ageing populations and policies which support these people to stay healthy, work if they want to and play a pivitoa role in their family and society are needed alongside pension and care provision. Older people are part of the solution.
A look at the BRICS shows that not all the wealthier economies do well in rankings It is striking that life for older people in the BRICS countries has not kept pace with overall development
Currently we have not been able to include many countries because of gaps in World Bank and WHO data, No data on life long learning opportunities, Gallup data is the globally available perception data (for further discussion on choice of indicators see p. 14/15 of Insight report and for detailed discussion the methodology report) Can also mention ICPD International Conference on Population and Development , process – means to ensure action on ageing