Vietnam faces population aging

That situation will pose a challenge for Vietnam in the coming decades. How will the country ensure social security and improve pension schemes for elderly people? The United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam, in co-operation with the Global Aging Institute, organised a conference on this issue on Monday in Hanoi.

According to a survey conducted by the Global Aging Institute among the 10 ASEAN member countries, Vietnamese workers were the most worried about their future when they are retired. In Vietnam, in 2013, each elderly person is supported by 10.7 people who are currently working, but by 2030 this figure would have plummeted to 5.4 people. And continue falling to 2.7 in 2050.

Vietnam’s population is the fastest aging in Asia. In the next 15 or 20 years, Vietnam will become a country with an old population. It is estimated that each Vietnamese person suffers 9 years of illness during their lifetime. That puts a burden on the health sector and society. At the conference, experts and policy makers shared international experience, especially on public-private partnership measures.