ABSTRACT
This chapter argues Asia-Pacific is unique from a global perspective with regard to population ageing. First, there is significant variety in the timing and speed of ageing across the region; second, there is variation within Asia-Pacific in the social institutions and cultural legacies that determine the individual experience of old age; third, there are differences in how the demographic transition is shaping the development of the welfare state and policy responses. However, notwithstanding the unique features of demographic transitions in Asia-Pacific, there are also strong common elements found across nations and cultures. In the next decades, policy-makers and leaders – political, community, and others - will need to respond to changes in family and social structures, disease pathology, gender roles, income security, the care of older citizens, and the provision of social and health welfare.
