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This issue of the Population Bulletin examines the causes of global population ageing and considers related dimensions such as the importance of health improvements and the effects of extended life expectancy for the individual wellbeing of older people and for social costs related to health care. It also considers whether mounting evidence of declining disability at older ages answers the question: are longer life expectancies accompanied by better health or simply more years of poor health?

The bulletin discusses:

• The global process of ageing
• Demographic drivers of ageing: fertility, mortality, changes in life expectancy
• Emergent diversity: such as surprising levels of fertility decline, calls for for an easing of birth restrictions to slow the pace of ageing in China for example, simultaneous population ageing and an overall decline in the total size of some national populations
• Health transitions: including disbility and the global burden of disease
• Gender and ageing: women constitute a majority of the older population in almost every country. Marital status, living arrangements, childlessness and education levels have implications for elderly women
• Intergenerational relationships: transfers of wealth, the“decline of the family”, willingness and ability of families to provide care and support for their older members
• Work, retirement, and well-being: Labour force participation, retirement systems and pension reform

The authors conclude with a look at the longer term view, the good and bad implications for economic growth, and the possible effects of ageing on national security. They agree with the general concensus shared by current debate on the subject that economic growth will slow as populations age. Demographic ageing has implications for a wide range of human behaviour, and researchers increasingly recognise the need for multidisciplinary approaches to the ageing process.

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