title: Demographic background for international gerontological studies.
abstract: Current and prospective international variations in several demographic measures relevant to aging studies are considered. Variations in the number and proportion of persons 65 and over, sex ratios for the aged population, aged and total dependency ratios, ratios of adult children to elderly parents in the more developed countries (MDC), the less developed countries (LDC), and the principal regions of the world are described. The analysis discloses much lower rates of increase in the numbers of elderly, higher proportions of the elderly, higher aged-dependency ratios, and lower total-dependency ratios in MDC than in LDC. Population projections to the year 2000 indicate a continued aging of the population and an increase in the aged-dependency ratio in both MDC and LDC. The important role of fertility in explaining the level and variations in such measures is noted.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors