Population Ageing and the State of the Elderly, with Emphasis on Aged Jamaicans

Ageing is not a recent phenomenon; it goes back centuries. Currently, the differences are pace and level. The distinction here is, pace denotes the rate of growth per annum; and level represents the percentage of the population who are experiencing a certain event. These concepts will be made clearer with the use of various illustrations throughout this paper. As in 2007, it is estimated that the percentage of people 65 years or over will be 7.5% and come 2050, the figure is projected to reach 16.1%, which is a 115% increase in 43 years. On the contrary, between 1950 and 2007, the percentage of people ≥ 65 years rose by only 2.2%. (Table 1).