The world is changing and we see more old people. This is because people are having less babies and living longer. This trend, called population aging, started in rich countries but is now happening more in poorer countries.

By 2050, the number of people aged 60 and older is expected to double to 2.1 billion. Also, the number of people aged 80 and older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050, reaching 426 million. These changes are not steady and don't always match a person's age.

Living longer and having fewer babies are big achievements in science and healthcare, but they will affect future generations. For example, the number of working-age people is expected to drop by 10% worldwide by 2060. In countries like Greece, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, the drop will be even bigger, more than 35%.

An aging population can cause many social and economic problems. One clear sign of an aging population is the pressure on pension systems. Even though people are retiring later in many countries, they are not saving enough for their longer lives, leading to an estimated $400 trillion shortfall by 2050.

Other challenges include higher healthcare costs, slower economic growth, and the appearance of complex health problems often called geriatric syndromes. These syndromes, usually caused by several factors, include frailty, urinary incontinence, falls, delirium, and pressure ulcers. As people get older, they are more likely to have several of these conditions at the same time.

Despite these challenges, living longer also brings opportunities, not just for older people and their families, but for society as a whole. All countries need to make sure their health and social systems are ready to make the most of this change in population age.