Population Ageing and Social Security in Asia

A sian countries are at different stages of demographic transition. While C entral and S outh A sian countries are relatively young and will remain so for some time, E ast and S outheast A sia are expected to age at an unprecedented rate in the next few decades. J apan has reached the future first. Other nations, such as C hina, are still young but ageing faster than many advanced economies, including A ustralia and the USA. This demographic shift has considerable implications for the development of social policy. Here too, countries differ widely. This paper sets the context for the rest of the volume. The focus is mostly on countries in E ast and S outheast A sia, but it includes contrasting comparisons to key regional countries such as I ndia and A ustralia. First, the paper presents the context: the demographic, urbanization, and social trends facing A sia. Second, it tackles the allocation of resources for the elderly, in particular, by summarizing approaches to two areas of social policy most pertinent to population ageing: retirement income and health care.