Türkiye, with an elderly population of 9.5 million, has surpassed the populations of 98 countries, including Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia and New Zealand, according to local media reports.
According to a compilation by the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency based on data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the population was recorded at 86 million, of which 11.1 percent, equivalent to 9.5 million people, were aged 65 and over.
As of last year, the global population stood at 8.2 billion, with elderly individuals accounting for 10.4 percent of the total.
The number of elderly individuals in Türkiye surpasses the populations of countries including Denmark, Armenia, Ireland, Israel, Switzerland, Iceland, Serbia and New Zealand.
Professor Dr. Mehmet Ali Eryurt of Hacettepe University’s Institute of Population Studies said that Türkiye’s elderly population is steadily increasing due to multiple factors and this trend is expected to continue.
“Currently, one in 10 people in Türkiye is over 65. The impact of the advancing healthcare system is undeniable, yet Türkiye’s aging process is progressing much faster than in European countries,” he said.
Eryurt noted that the growing elderly population most significantly affects the healthcare and social security systems, as rising care needs and healthcare expenditures follow.
Long retirement periods and a shrinking number of contributing workers pose financial sustainability challenges for social security.
However, if experienced workers continue to contribute and policies for skill updating and age-appropriate flexible working are properly implemented, this can become an advantage, the expert underlined.
He said that a new sector is emerging to meet the needs, consumption habits and lifestyles of the elderly, called the ‘silver economy,’ named after the color of aging hair.
“Countries are increasingly planning the silver economy as a growth-driving sector,” Eryurt added.
