State of Elderly in OIC Member Countries 2023
Date: 05 June 2023

The 2023 edition of the report on “State of Elderly in OIC Member Countries” was launched by SESRIC during the Second Session of the Ministerial Conference on Social Development, which was held on 5-6 June 2023 in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt. The main highlights of the report were presented to the Conference by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state along with the special needs and vulnerabilities of the elderly population, discusses the enabling of a supportive environment for the elderly and highlights promising initiatives and best practices from within the OIC member countries to provide insights and recommendations for policymakers. The main findings of the report show that increasing life expectancy and falling fertility levels have led to a steady increase in the elderly population in OIC countries from 3.6% of their total population in 1990 to 4.8% in 2021 with a projection of 9.5% for 2050. Yet, compared to the world (9.6%) and developed countries (20%) averages in 2021, OIC countries are still young with a relatively very low share of elderly in their total population. This state of affairs actually offers an important window of opportunities for OIC countries to get prepared for times when their elderly population may put an additional burden on the working-age population in the future.

The report further provides successful examples from OIC countries in developing policies and interventions to improve the welfare of the elderly while highlighting the importance of enhancing intra-OIC cooperation in this field by promoting the exchange of experiences and capacities among member countries. The report concludes with a set of policy recommendations to provide some guidance for policymakers while developing targeted interventions and policies for older people in OIC countries.

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