As populations age at unprecedented speed, particularly in Asia-Pacific, the question confronting governments is no longer whether to act, but how quickly and effectively they can ensure income security for all older people.
By 2050, one in four people in the region will be over 60. Longer lives are an extraordinary achievement of development, but they also demand a clear, practical response: every older person must have the means to live with dignity.
A new report released by Development Pathways and HelpAge International shines a light on this urgent issue.
The report examines the state of social pensions across the Asia-Pacific region and sets out what is working, what is not, and what must come next.
Its findings make one thing unmistakable: social pensions – and in particular those with universal coverage – are not only viable, they are transformative.