Urbanization and Ageing Health Outcomes

Excerpt

The world aging population is continuously rising. In 1950, the population of the world was 2.5 billion people (of whom 128 million were aged 65 years and over, accounting for 5%). It reached 7.8 billion in 2020 (10% of people aged 65+) and will continue to grow strongly, to peak at 9.7 billion in 2050 (with 16% aged 65+) (1). During the same time period, the world’s urban population has increased from 746 million in 1950 to 4 billion in 2020. By 2050, this number is expected to increase to 6.4 billion (2), meaning that two-thirds of the world’s entire population will live in urban areas (3). In such conditions, it appears logical to anticipate what the impacts of urbanization on health might be, before also focusing on specific behavioral aspects and factors affecting well-being among the old population. …