Attitudes toward the elderly globally

What is it about?

In this article, we look at how characteristics of countries affect how people living within these countries feel about the elderly/aged population. We highlight the impact of the "social safety net", including pension and retirement systems, to show that the traditional wisdom that poorer "less developed societies" revere their elderly more is no longer true, if it ever was. Instead, what matters is that a society has the resources to provide for the elderly/aged population instead of burdening already-poor families.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Globally, the population is aging. Those of use lucky to live long enough will enter the category of elderly/aged, inevitably. How we treat the elderly as a society depends on more than just individual attitudes of respect, care, tradition, reverence, etc.