Global Aging

While one would like to be optimistic about the future, the truth is that the distribution of income between the rich world and poor is widening, not closing.

Even in developed countries, the gap between the well-to-do and the poor is growing. Globally, current trends, as demonstrated by UN data, indicate that:

In the latter half of the 20th Century, 20 years were added to global lifespan, making the current average lifespan 66 years, but with enormous differences between countries and regions.
One of 10 people is now over 60; in 2050, it is estimated that one in five will be over 60.
Large differences exist between broad global regions: One in five Europeans are over 60, but only one in 20 Africans are over that age.
55% of the world's older population are women; the ratio of women to men increases with age.
Because of factors such as access to modern medicine and improved sanitation, the increase in aging is more rapid in developing countries than in high income countries. However, developing countries are less able to accommodate an aging population.
Along with general population, there is a shift of elderly from rural to urban areas. In developed countries, 74% of the elderly live in urban areas, where there is access to medicine and care. In less developed countries, only 37% of the elderly live in urban areas. However, they often live in large slums, and there is no guarantee that they will get proper care.
The dependency ratio describes the number of elderly that must be looked after or funded by persons of working age. Between 2000 and 2050, the old age (65+) dependency ratio will double in more developed regions but triple in less developed countries.
The impact of wars, civil unrest, famines, and disease are enormous. Globally, between 30 and 45 million people, including many elderly, are classed as refugees and internally displaced people. Epidemics such as AIDS can drastically reduce prime-age populations and throw the burden of looking after the young on the old.