Across the world, societies are struggling to design sustainable policies for their aging populations. In much of the developed world, an increasing share of the population is over 60. In Japan, which has long been viewed as the pioneer “super-aging” society, nearly 30% of the population is now over 65. Individuals are living much longer lives due to improvements in nutrition and health care, while evolving lifestyles and shifting socio-economic conditions have kept birth rates at historic lows. The combination has produced a crisis in the social welfare systems which provide financial and care support for older citizens. The result has been increased unpaid labor for carers, elder work-force participation, and healthcare spending. A roundtable of five Abe Fellows will discuss these issues, share stories from their research, and examine potential policies for end-of-life care and an aging global society.

The event was held January 28, 2022 from 1:30pm-3:00pm EST.

A version of the video with Japanese subtitles is available here.

Abe Global 2022 is held in partnership with the Reischauer Institute of Japan Studies, the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, and the Oxford Brookes Healthy Ageing and Care Network.

An initiative of the Abe Fellowship Program, the Abe Fellows Global Forum (Abe Global) brings Abe Fellow research and expertise on pressing issues of global concern to broader audiences. Abe Global hosts events each year in partnership with academic and civic organizations. The Abe Fellowship Program is a partnership between the Social Science Research Council and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.