Sabine Henning, Chief of the Sustainable Demographic Transition Section at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, explores building inclusive societies for all ages by harnessing the rapid demographic transition in the Asia-Pacific region

The Asia-Pacific region stands at a demographic crossroads. The region’s population, once expanding rapidly, is now experiencing much slower growth, and it is projected to peak at about 5.1 billion people by the early 2050s before declining. Although these regional trends mask greater variation at the national and subnational levels, the trajectory is clear: population growth is declining, and population age structures are shifting towards a greater number and share of older persons.

Driving this change is the demographic transition, the decline from high fertility and mortality to longer lives and smaller families that has reshaped societies and economies across the region. Many of the resulting demographic and socio-economic changes are cause for celebration; the result of decades of investing in improved access to quality healthcare, greater gender equality and the empowerment of women, higher levels of quality education, and people moving out of poverty.

In the past, population ageing mostly affected developed countries. In recent decades, it has gained momentum in developing countries. In fact, compared to other regions of the world, population ageing is particularly rapid in Asia and the Pacific. While countries in the Global North took several decades to transition from an ageing to an aged society, countries in Asia and the Pacific have taken much less time (less than 20 years, for example, in the Maldives, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam). This rapid change has profound consequences for every aspect of individual, community, national and international life, and it gives countries little time to put in place policies and programmes that address the impacts.

Policy recommendations on ageing

In response to this demographic reality, UN Member States adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) in 2002 – the global norm-setting document that addresses the challenges and opportunities of population ageing. Complemented by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), the 2024 Pact for the Future, and the 2025 Doha Political Declaration, MIPAA has stood the test of time. Its call to build a society for all ages is as relevant today as it was almost 25 years ago.

The Action Plan links population ageing to social and economic development and to human rights, and proposes concrete actions for policymakers, non-governmental organisations, and other actors. ESCAP organises regional reviews and appraisals of MIPAA every five years, providing an opportunity for its Member States to assess policies and programmes and share good practices.

As of November 2025, the ESCAP repository of policies on population ageing shows that 28 countries in Asia and the Pacific have made significant progress in adopting national policies on population ageing, and 17 countries have an action plan; a comprehensive strategy with commitments to implement the policy. Countries have also mainstreamed population ageing across other sectoral policies and established national coordinating bodies to address the issue in a politically coordinated way.

The ESCAP database of good practices showcases what countries across the region have done to advance a society for all ages. Under categories such as data and research, discrimination, neglect and abuse, health and well-being, just to name a few, countries have adopted laws and decrees, implemented programmes, conducted studies, collected data and offered services to address specific aspects of the population ageing agenda. The repository and the database are regularly used for capacity-building and for South-South and North-South regional cooperation.

Ageing, much remains to be done

Despite this progress, much remains to be done. A longer life is not necessarily a healthier life. Older women often age with comparative disadvantages resulting from lifelong inequalities, which reveal themselves in a lack of social protection, informal sector work, including unpaid care, isolation and loneliness in old age. The “grey digital divide” and ageist attitudes in workplaces or public life can relegate older persons to the margins of society.

By 2050, every fourth person in Asia and the Pacific is projected to be 65 years or older. Today’s youth and working-aged people will be tomorrow’s older persons. Moreover, never before in history have so many people of so many different age groups coexisted. This new demographic reality demands that the opportunities it creates be understood and harnessed now.

Investing in health and education over the life course, reskilling and upskilling, and creating flexible work environments will benefit society broadly and allow older persons to contribute more fully. As a result, the “silver economy”, which refers to older persons as active consumers, producers and innovators, will grow, providing opportunities to boost economic growth and rebuild fiscal buffers amid demographic headwinds.

Intergenerational learning and multigenerational living and housing arrangements will strengthen intergenerational solidarity. Recognising, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care work, and providing community-based care as an alternative or complement to family-based care, will contribute to healthy ageing and the empowerment of women.

The Asia-Pacific region in the demographic transition

The Asia-Pacific region has come a long way in the demographic transition. Against a backdrop of rapid demographic change, it is important to reframe narratives around demographic trends, particularly population ageing, and to see these trends as transformative opportunities for building just, inclusive, equitable and sustainable societies.

Moreover, using demographic foresight, countries and non-governmental stakeholders must be proactive in analysing demographic trends and relating them to development. Since the timing, scale and speed of this transition still vary across the region, and given the region’s socio-economic diversity, South-South and North-South learning provide excellent opportunities for regional cooperation and partnerships to build societies for all ages. Indeed, the insights gained from this work can transcend regional boundaries and benefit people worldwide.

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