ABSTRACT
The Ageing and Development Report draws together the most significant figures on global ageing and ageing trends in developing countries. Ageing will become an almost universal feature of every society in the 21st century. There has long been a myth that ageing is not an issue for developing countries because overall life expectancy is low. Too few studies take the time to listen to and understand the experience of older people in developing countries. During the 1960s and 1970s the world was characterized by increased youthful populations, especially in low income countries. The rate of growth of older populations is highest in developing countries. The world population of people over 60 increased by more than 12 million in 1995. 80 per cent of the increase occurred in developing countries. In almost all countries women enjoy longer life expectancy than men.
