What happens when a young population ages? How should countries prepare?
The World Bank Sri Lanka Facebook page will host a live chat January 7, 2013, on the challenge posed by Sri Lanka’s young population---one that is aging fast.
Today, 67% of Sri Lanka’s population is working-age, according to the latest World Bank Sri Lanka demographic transition report. The working-age population will remain significantly larger than the dependent population until 2017, with the potential to play a crucial role in advancing the country’s economy. But by 2041, one out of every four Sri Lankans is expected to be an elderly person.
The chat will focus on the dimensions of growing old in Sri Lanka and the challenge Sri Lanka is facing in dealing with an aging population with limited resources.
Much of the world faces similar challenges. Globally, within next 10 years, there will be 1 billion older people worldwide, and by 2050 nearly one in five people in developing countries will be over 60.
Join the chat from 3:30-5:30am EST to share ideas on how Sri Lanka can effectively manage the demographic shift from a mostly young population to a majority older one.
To learn more, visit the original blog post published on “End Poverty in South Asia” blog.