Reassessing measures of population ageing as a tool for driving healthy longevity

Demographic changes and ageing population structures raise societal challenges, such as smaller working age populations supporting higher health and pension expenditures. The old-age dependency ratio (OADR) is an established, simple, and widely used measure of the ageing burden. However, it is essentially a measurement whereby only age matters. Times have changed, and age is no longer a good predictor of health and functioning levels.