International Handbook of Population Aging

Peter Uhlenberg The classic handbook of population, The Study of Pop- by the beginning of the twenty-first century and p- ulation edited by Philip Hauser and Otis Dudley Dun- jections show that by 2035 there will be twice as many can, was published in 1959. As described on the dust over age 65 as under age 15. In Italy and in Japan, jacket, this book was “…an encyclopedic summary of where extraordinarily low fertility is persisting, p- the field of demography, ranging from its historical jections indicate that by 2050 there will be three times beginnings to promising subjects for its future study…” as many people over age 80 as children under age 5. Not only was “population aging” not included as the Although population aging is progressing at different title of one of the 28 chapters in this encyclopedic vol- paces in different parts of the world, significant po- ume on demographic knowledge but the term was not lation aging is expected in every region of the world even included in the index. Demographers at that time in coming decades. The emergence of global popu- did, of course, understand the determinants of a popula- tion aging as one of the most important demographic tion’s age distribution and a discussion of this topic was trends in the world today has stimulated scholars to included.

The International Handbook of Population Aging is the first comprehensive volume to examine research on a wide array of the profound implications of population aging. Global population aging is one of the most important issues facing human societies in the early twenty-first century. Population projections show that the proportion of the world’s population over age 60 will double between 2000 and 2050, and that about one-third of the people living in developed countries will be over age 60 in 2050. Already there are countries in Europe and Asia where the number of people over age 60 exceed the number of children, and by 2050 some of these countries will have twice as many old people as children. As noted by the 2002 UN World Assembly on Ageing Report, this global trend in population aging is unprecedented in human history, is pervasive across societies, is enduring (there is no going back to younger populations), and has profound implications for human beings.

 

"An essential reference work."

Glen H. Elder, Jr., Research Professor, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

"An absolutely essential reading. The rich fare this volume offers has no match or even close competitor in the professional literature."

Paul Demeny, Distinguished Scholar, Population Council Editor, Population and Development Review

"Exemplary in regard to the range of countries it covers and in focusing on many questions." Karl Ulrich Mayer, Stanley B. Resor Professor of Sociology, Yale University

"An impressive volume, showing the ageing populations around the globe through the lens of some of the best demographic observers."

Martin Kohli, Professor of Sociology, Department of Social and Political Sciences, European University Institute

 

This is the first handbook to appear in the International Handbooks of Population series, edited by Dudley Poston Jr., Texas A&MUniversity, College Station, TX, USA. Future handbooks in this series will focus on Mortality, Poverty Populations, Migration, Race and Ethnic Demography and more.