Vietnam should brace for ageing population, expert says

May 13, 2011, 11:51 GMT

Hanoi - Vietnam must «prepare now rather than later» to support its rapidly ageing population or face economic challenges, an expert warned Friday.

A «very clear trend» indicated that 10 per cent of the population would be over 60 in six years, said Giang Thanh Long, vice dean of the School of Public Policy and Management.

'If we do not do anything, a lot of elderly people will have bad health and we will need to get them treated,' he said. 'We can't throw them away on the street.'

As more than 60 per cent of the country's 86 million people were born after the Vietnam War ended in 1979, Vietnam is often thought of as a young country.

But because of higher life expectancy and family planning, the proportion of people over 60 is projected to hit 20 per cent by 2035, making it an officially aged country.

Experts were most concerned by the rate of change, which could be faster than even Japan's. A suddenly aged population would create tremendous challenges for socioeconomic development, Long said.

In addition to losses of productivity, the elderly represent costs through pensions and health care.

According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, the number of Vietnamese people 60 and above reached 8.1 million by April 1 last year, 9.4 per cent of the total population and 4 per cent higher than the 2009 figures.

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