Asia – Pacific countries is encountering a more rapid transition in their population structure than ever before. According to statistic of the UNDP, the number of people in the working-age group accounts for nearly 70% of the total regional population, while the rate of elderly retired people, or the dependent group, is equal to half of that. Such high rates of the young population offers huge opportunities for socio-economic development as they are the vital source of production or GDP growth. Vietnam also follows regional demographic trend, and is gaining benefit from such golden population structure. Meanwhile, according to experts, this period only lasts for 10-15 years. Therefore, it is urgent to have economic gains from this period for Vietnam, particularly by focusing on productivity improvement.
Asian countries, including Vietnam, are in the rapid aging process of population since 2011, with people above 65 accounts for over 7% of the population. Regional countries are facing the problem of growing old before growing rich. Particularly, it takes only 20 to 30 years for them to enter the aging process of population, compared to a hundred years in many European countries. Though this elderly group created the burden for the working age group, they can be turned into a valuable source of countries’ development.
Changing demographic in Asia-Pacific offers both opportunities and challenges, but taking advantages from both working-age and dependent groups is the key to human development.
