Population Ageing: A Demographic Perspective

Abstract

Australia’s population profile has been ageing continuously for the past 150 years, but the rate of this ageing will be greater in the period 2010–2020 due to the post-World War II baby boom generation. The extent of future ageing in Australia is contingent on future fertility levels in particular but also upon the level of international migration. Comparatively, Australia is in a more favourable position than most other developed countries and some former developing countries, such as China and Korea, which are ageing more rapidly than Australia. Policy related to support services for older people is driven mainly by ageing at the local level where there are considerable variations in the l..