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ล สามะโนประชากรและเคหะ และ สารวจประชากรผู้
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ในประเทศไทย
Reverse mortgages, an idea whose time may have come for ageing society
One recent social phenomenon that has been quite a worrying issue
for both developed and developing states is that we are quietly yet very
quickly evolving into "ageing societies".
To clarify what an "ageing society" is, we have to look at its definition.
According to the United Nations, once any state has a ratio of people over 60
of more than 10 per cent of the population and those over 65 comprising
more than 7 per cent, that state is classified as an ageing society.
The UN also estimates that the global population 35 years from now
will include more than 2 billion people over 60 years old. That is quite
astounding, isn't it?
Our life spans are getting longer thanks to advanced medical
technologies and our higher consciousness about health and well-being, while
it seems that the good old days when you raised your kids and educated
them and expected them to take care of your retirement are gone. The world
is now so competitive that perhaps they are just too busy taking care of
themselves.
That is why we are seeing in some countries such as Japan, China,
and recently the United States more and more people finding their way back
into job markets after having retired once. In Japan, lots of retired people work
as local volunteers and administrative staff. In Germany and the US, we are
starting to see some openings in very advanced factories with very low-labour-
intensity jobs for retirees.
However, these are exceptions, and most retirees all around the
world are still dependent on their life savings, state pensions, and their
families. The reality is that not all people in their 60s are retiring with enough
accumulated fortune to live on, nor are they living in a country with a well-
organised public pension system.
This situation might not be that bad for the so-called baby-boomer
generation, who are now in their 60s, or fast approaching that age. The baby-
boomers are believed to have grown up during sustained economic growth,
and they were the wealthiest generation up to that time. They also received
