Hanoi tackles its ageing population

Vietnam’s population is getting progressively older, while policies and programmes on healthcare for the elderly remain unchanged and fail to meet rising demands.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien emphasised the need to raise public awareness of population structure and quality, reduce early marriages and expand the coverage of health insurance.

Efforts should be focused on dealing with an ageing population, improving health care for the elderly and increasing their income, he noted.

According to the latest population census, there were more than 8.6 million aged 60 years old and above in 2011, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the population, while the rate of over 65-year-olds stood at 7 per cent.

According to the United Nations, Vietnam entered the “Ageing population” phase in 2011, six years earlier than predicted.

Vietnam’s population reaching a staggering 90 million on November 1 making the country the 14^th most populous country in the world and the third largest in Southeast Asia.