Current status of the social situation, wellbeing, participation in development and rights of older persons worldwide, draft report

This draft report provides a overview of ageing-related issues at the national and regional levels, building upon the report of the Secretary-General submitted to the 65th session of the General Assembly.

It discusses the social and economic wellbeing of older persons and specifically looks at:

• the demographics of older age
• economic status and participation in the labour force
• the health of older persons
• the societal perceptions and social integration of older persons
• the human rights of older persons

The report highlights the following observations:

• a sizeable majority of older persons are female, especially those aged 80 and above; older men are more likely to be married compared to older women
• an increasing number of older persons reside in urban areas
• older persons in developing countries tend to live in multi-generationalhouseholds, but this tendency has started to decline given changesin family structures spurred by migration and other factors
• older persons in developed countries are morelikely to live alone or with a spouse than with their children
• on average, older persons, particularly women and the oldest old, tend to be poorer than
  younger cohorts
• in countries with social security and pensions that cover the majority of the labour force, older persons tend to retire from the workforce at around age 60 or 65, with women typically retiring earlier than men
• in less developed regions, where social security and pension programmes only cover a minority of workers, many older persons continue to work out of economic necessity