Demographic Determinants and Pace of Population Ageing in the ECO Countries: A Policy-Long View on Regional Balance

Amir Houshang Mehryar, Regional Center for Population Reseach & Studies in Asia and the Pacific
Nader Motie Haghshenas, Population Studies and Research Center in Asia and the Pacific
Tayebeh(Sahel) Taherianfard, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS)

This paper aims to review the demographic determinants of elderly population aged 60 and over and to summarize existing evidence on the magnitude and pace of population ageing in the ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) region between 1950-2050.This is consisted Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey countries. Data used in this analysis is mostly taken from the United Nations (2006) recent report on World Ageing. A combination of falling birth and death rates and rising life expectancy at birth have contributed to rapid ageing of the countries of ECO region. Thus, countries of the region will be burdened by unprecedented large numbers of elderly.The burden will present the fledgling social security,retirement and health care systems with huge problems. Increasing urbanization and disappearance of the traditional extended family network will no doubt will add new dimensions to the problem of ageing in this area of the world.