In news–The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has published the World Social Report 2023 recently.
Key highlights of the report-
- The report calls for concrete measures to support the greying global population, amidst escalating pension and healthcare costs.
- In 2021, 761 million people worldwide were aged 65 and older, which will rise to 1.6 billion by 2050. The number of people aged 80 years or older is growing even faster.
- Globally, a child born in 2021 can expect to live, on average, to age 71, with women living longer than men. This is nearly 25 years more than a baby born in 1950.
- Northern Africa, Western Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, are on track to experience the fastest growth in the number of older people over the next 30 years. Today, Europe and Northern America combined, have the highest share of this population.
- However, the report points to inequalities in our ageing world, because not everyone has benefited equally from the improvements in health and education that are driving this transformation.
- While many older people are in excellent health or “economically active”, others live with ailments or in poverty.
- In more developed regions, pensions and other public transfer systems provide over two thirds of the consumption by older persons. Their counterparts in less developed regions tend to work longer and rely more on accumulated assets or family assistance.
- Life expectancy is strongly influenced by factors such as income, education, gender, ethnicity and place of residence.
- Some combinations of these factors have too often led to systemic disadvantage that begins early in life.
- The report recommends that countries rethink long-held policies and practices associated with livelihoods and work.
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)-
- Rooted in the United Nations Charter and guided by the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN DESA upholds the development pillar of the United Nations.
- It brings the global community together to work towards common solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
- It helps countries translate their global commitments into national action in the economic, social and environmental spheres.
- UN DESA is a pioneer of sustainable development and the home of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where each goal finds its space and where all stakeholders can do their part to leave no one behind.
- It is a leading analytical voice for promoting inclusion, reducing inequalities and eradicating poverty, and a champion for tearing down the barriers that keep people in poverty.
- It helps countries make informed decisions by providing a wealth of information through its publications and databases and through our support for international deliberations at the United Nations General Assembly, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Commissions, Forums and other bodies.
Source: UN
