Vietnam's population aging rate is the fastest in Asia.

Vietnam has the fastest aging population rate in Asia, with the transition from an aging population to an elderly population taking only 17-20 years, shorter than many other countries.

On May 31st, at the scientific conference of Military Hospital 175, Professor, Doctor Nguyen Duc Cong, Vice President of the Vietnam Geriatrics Association, stated that according to the General Department of Population and Family Planning ( Ministry of Health ), Vietnam began the aging population phase in 2011, with the number of people aged 65 and over accounting for 7% of the total population.

In 2021, the number of people over 65 years old in Vietnam accounted for 8.3% of the total population (8.16 million elderly people). By 2025, Vietnam will have 16.1 million elderly people, accounting for over 16% of the population.

According to Dr. Cong, Vietnam has the fastest aging population in Asia and ranks first among the top 10 countries in the world . The time it takes to transition from an aging population to an elderly population in our country is only 17-20 years, shorter than in many other countries.

Vietnam has the fastest aging population in Asia.

It is projected that the number of elderly people in Vietnam will reach 25.2 million by 2069. Vietnam will enter the period of an aging population from 2036. At that time, the proportion of the population aged 65 and over will reach 14.2% of the total population.

According to Doctor Cong, a characteristic of diseases among the elderly in Vietnam is that they often have multiple health problems (typically 3.5 to 4 or more chronic diseases upon hospitalization), requiring long-term monitoring and medication, and the use of many different medications.

Older adults are divided into three groups: those who are successfully aging (active and able to work), those who are normally aging (still able to function), and those who are frail (paralyzed).

Elderly individuals will be assessed on their functional abilities such as bathing independently, dressing themselves, using the toilet independently, getting out of bed independently, controlling bowel or bladder function, and self-feeding. A score of 8 out of 8 indicates good function, while a score of 4 out of 8 indicates impaired function.

The group of elderly people classified as very healthy are those who are agile, energetic, and regularly engage in physical activity; compared to others of the same age, they are the healthiest.

The healthy group typically consists of individuals without symptoms of an ongoing illness, but they are not as healthy as group 1. They are usually physically active or very energetic, depending on the time of year, such as during seasonal activities.

The group with stable health includes people with well-controlled illnesses who do not regularly engage in activities beyond regular walking.

According to Dr. Cong, the social network for caring for the elderly is a decisive factor in whether they can live at home or need to be hospitalized. Caregivers of the elderly also need to be regularly screened for depression and guided to counseling and support groups when needed.

Strengthening the elderly care system.

During a monitoring session on the implementation of population policies and laws in Ho Chi Minh City from 2018 to 2024, conducted by the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Social Affairs in April 2025, Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , stated that despite the rapid aging of the population, access to comprehensive counseling and healthcare services for the elderly in Ho Chi Minh City remains limited.

Ho Chi Minh City proposes that the central government should develop, refine, and comprehensively implement policies for the elderly, taking into account economic development and ensuring social security.

At the same time, policies should be developed to encourage and support the participation of the elderly in economic activities, especially those with high levels of education, expertise, and technical skills (adapting to the trend of the silver economy).

Reforming the pension system, diversifying insurance types, especially voluntary old-age insurance, to suit the contribution and payment capabilities of participants…

Furthermore, territorial spatial planning must adapt to population aging. In particular, policies are needed to support and attract economic entities to invest in nursing home services.

According to plo.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/toc-do-gia-hoa-dan-so-cua-viet-nam-nhanh-nhat-chau-a-post402637.html