Comparative Study on Active Response to Population Aging between China and South Korea

Abstract

The aging of the population refers to the process of population change in which the proportion of the elderly population increases in the total population. When the population aged 60 and over accounts for 10% or more of the total population in a country or region, or the population aged 65 and over accounts for 7% or more of the total population, this country or region is defined as an aging society. If both of the indicators above meet the criteria, the country of region is called a typical aging society. When the proportion of people aged 65 among the total population reaches 14%, this country or region is called an aged society. If this proportion reaches 20%, it is called a super-aged society. The aging of the population is a necessary stage for the development of human society and an inevitable trend and law of population development. In today's world, population aging, along with globalization, urbanization, industrialization, and informatization, will have a profound and lasting impact on all aspects of economic and social development. The United Nations once called it a "silent revolution" in human history. In 2009, the proportion of elderly people over the age of 65 in the world reached 7.5%, which means that the world has entered an era of population aging. Governments all over the world must attach great importance to this and take active and effective response measures.