Eleven percent of the population in the northern Gilan Province is 60 years or older, said Farid Barati Sedeh, secretary of the National Council for the Elderly.
The number of elderly people has increased in the past few years, and will continue to grow due to the declining population growth rates, he said, adding that Gilan has the highest number of elderly people among all provinces, and Sistan and Baluchestan has the lowest, reports Mehr News Agency.
Population ageing is a phenomenon that occurs when the median age of a country or region rises due to higher life expectancy and/or declining birth rates.
The ageing population crisis occurs once 12 percent of the population enters the seventh decade of their lives, said Sedeh. “We should be prepared for an aging population in the future and a directive on elderly people’s health care should be issued.”
The level of health care services and people’s well-being are higher compared to other provinces, and as a consequence the province has the largest number of elderly people. It will be a big challenge to meet this group’s future needs.
