Our experts analyse the main consequences of an ageing population for business and society, as well as the opportunities it brings for innovation.
What is Longevity?
Today, in Western societies, almost everyone lives more than 65 years; enough to manifest the health consequences of genetics and lifestyle. Living longer affects many parameters of society, both current and future. It impacts health, education, the way of governing, and even ethics.
The ageing of the population is one of the great challenges facing the world. Its importance is equal to, if not greater, that of the fight against climate change or that of global threats such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is true that for the majority of the world’s population the increase in longevity is very good news. However, this phenomenon also entails difficult complications for the labour market, health and social protection systems.
The increase in longevity is here to stay and everything seems to indicate that life expectancy will continue to increase or, at least, maintain.
Far from being a drama, as seen by those who, in a show of more or less conscious age discrimination, speak of the gray tsunami, the increase in longevity is a challenge and also a whole field of cultivation for new opportunities. Older people already have a lot to say, and the exponential growth of this age group means that only a greater role can be foreseen on their part.
The experts of the Future Trends Forum discussed the activities and initiatives that we must launch as soon as possible to ensure the balance and well-being of an increasingly long-lived world.
