ABSTRACT
Ageing populations present considerable challenges to welfare states, and East Asia is no exception. Demographic pictures show that except for Japan, the proportions of older people in East Asian countries are not as high as in the West. However, projections indicate that the speed of population ageing is faster in the East than the West. Typically governments in East Asia have adopted a residual role in welfare provision, and made families responsible for the care of older members. However, the decline in fertility rates and changes to family structures have placed pressures on governments to take on more responsibilities, and to ensure appropriate and effective responses to population ageing.
