Singapore is ready to enter the super-aged population phase.

Singaporeans walk on the street on May 14, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS)

With better living conditions and advances in healthcare , Singaporeans now have an average life expectancy of over 83 years, compared to 72 years in 1980. As life expectancy increases, the rate of population aging also increases rapidly. According to the United Nations, a country enters the aging stage when the proportion of people aged 65 and over exceeds 7%, has an aged population if this proportion is higher than 14%, and has a super-aged population when this proportion is 21% or more.

Accordingly, Singapore has become an aging population since 2017 and is expected to become a super-aging population by 2026. The proportion of the elderly is increasing, but the low birth rate brings burdens to Singapore's society and economy . Population aging affects the sustainability of the social welfare system, puts pressure on the health system, and leads to labor shortages.

In order to adapt to the aging population, the Singaporean Government has soon formulated policies on reforming the health care system, gradually increasing the retirement age, urban planning, and economic development. After raising the retirement age from 60 to 63, Singapore continues its roadmap to raise the retirement age to 65 by 2030.

Singapore has been an aging country since 2017 and is expected to become a super-aged country by 2026.

Singapore will also raise the working age of seniors who are eligible and willing to continue working from 68 currently to 70 by 2030. These policies will help to improve the labor shortage, while creating opportunities for seniors to continue contributing to Singapore's socio-economic development.

As one of the oldest towns in Singapore, Queenstown has had more than 20% of its residents aged 65 and above for the past few years. In this town, many initiatives to improve the health and well-being of people of all ages have been implemented over the years. In order to create a friendly living environment for the elderly, Singapore promotes the construction of more nursing homes and parks; and improves transportation infrastructure to facilitate travel.

A housing subsidy scheme to allow multiple generations of a family to live together or close together is also one of the initiatives being implemented. Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Queenstown shows some of the results that these initiatives can bring to the country’s seniors in the future.

Singapore is stepping up measures to prepare for a super-aged society, according to Minister Ong Ye Kung. With the aim of reaching more than half a million people aged 50 and above, the Live Well, Age Well programme is being rolled out to support people to take care of their health, continue to contribute to society and stay connected to their families and communities.

In July, Singapore plans to launch a strategy called Healthier SG aimed at providing health care and disease prevention to its citizens, with priority given to those aged 40 and above. By participating in this program, Singaporeans can regularly contact their doctors for regular screenings to detect diseases early.

Along with the difficulties, population aging also creates opportunities, such as developing health care services and products for the elderly. Many measures implemented early by Singaporean authorities, as well as careful preparation, are the basis for the island nation to effectively respond to the challenges and take advantage of the benefits that this issue brings.

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