This statistical volume aims to bring together key information on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of older New Zealanders (aged 65 years and over) to assist researchers, planners, policy makers, administrators and others interested in ageing-related issues. 2004.
Population ageing, both globally and in New Zealand, is often seen in negative terms, alongside economic and political instability, disease and environmental threats. But it can also be viewed positively – as an opportunity, an achievement of human civilisation and thus something to celebrate. Either way, there can be little doubt that population ageing will have important economic and social implications during the coming decades; hence, the subject deserves careful scrutiny.
This new bibliography of research on ageing in New Zealand covers the period 2001-2005. It is a project of NZiRA, funded by the Ministry of Social Development. The general parameter for research to be included in this bibliography was that it had to be related to human ageing in the New Zealand context.
In 2001 the then Ministry of Social Policy published a comprehensive study of the living standards of older New Zealanders. This treasury Working Paper revisits the estimated relationship between material well-being and the current income and accommodation costs of older people, and questions the extent to which income and accommodation costs directly affect well-being or proxy for other factors.
The paper uses a simulation model to assess the effects of population ageing on government health expenditures in New Zealand. Population ageing is defined to include disability trends and “distance to death”; government health expenditures are defined to include both acute and long-term care. The model results suggest that population ageing is associated with a large increase in expenditure share of people aged 65 and over, which rises from about 29% of total government health expenditure in 1951 to 63% in 2051.
The report presents a statistical picture of the population aged 65 and over and how it is changing. It covers the demographic characteristics of older people, where they live, their family and community participation, their health and disability status, their participation in the labour market and their economic well-being. April 2004.
This is an excel worksheet with the data underlying the report The Context and Implications of Population Ageing in New Zealand produced for the Periodic Report Group's 2003 review of retirement income policy.
In all Western industrialised countries, the average age of the population is rising. This has raised policy concerns at country and international agency levels – how do we economically support the growing proportion of the population projected to be inactive in the labour market? This report studies six countries that have been reforming their public retirement schemes: the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, Canada, Australia and Germany. October 2003.
It is widely recognised that as the population ages there will be potentially significant implications for a wide range of economic variables, including in particular the fiscal costs of social expenditures. Long term fiscal planning requires estimates of the possible future path of public spending. This paper presents projections for 14 categories of social spending. These projections are based on detailed demographic estimates covering fertility, migration and mortality disaggregated by single year of age and gender.
This monograph uses census data to provide a long-term series of important social indicators. This includes tracking the aging of the population. For a copy of this book contact Institute of Policy Studies.