ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the interaction among demographic transitions, market economies, traditional values and their implications for quality of life, healthcare, labor and retirement policies, public pension programs, social services, and economic growth across Asia. Many Asian nations are formulating or reformulating aging policies as the countries experience dramatic demographic conversions due to the rapid increase of the populations. In a part of the world where communal consensus, filial obligation, and familial interdependence have long been venerated, comprehensive challenges are in the offing. Across Asia, families have traditionally assumed virtually exclusive responsibility for providing old-age security. The chapter reviews a number of crucial elements that affect quality of life for the elderly. Healthcare policy is a prevailing issue as healthcare costs skyrocket across Asia, according to the World Health Organization. To the extent that economic growth decelerates because of aging, rather than imperfect fiscal policy, this slowdown should not be viewed with alarm, especially among Asia's more sustainable economies.
