The International Programs Center, U.S. Census Bureau proposes to produce a full update and revision of the Census Bureau publication An Aging World: 2001 (P95-01-1; November 2001). This would be the fourth edition in an NIA-funded series that began in 1987. Prior editions have been used by researchers, academicians, and the general public (in the U.S. and abroad) interested in the population aging process in different parts of the world. The report also provides a comparative international perspective to policymakers in the United States that enhances consideration of policy options and formulation of domestic responses to changing population age structures. As national age structures continue to change and older people constitute a proportionally larger share of populations, there are social and political pressures to change the distribution of resources within societies. Shifting weights of younger and older persons have an impact on many areas of life, including patterns of work and retirement, migration incentives, the adequacy of social security systems, pension reform and innovation, global capital flows, family structure and family support, and the implicit social contract. At the same time, health systems worldwide are being challenged by changing patterns and burdens of disease and the unabated longevity revolution. While research on these and other aspects of population aging has mushroomed during the past 15 years, there is a need to pull together the disparate findings and subject matter. Analysis and synthesis of cross-national data serve as a barometer of international trends, suggest where research has been most effective, and highlight areas where further work is needed. Integrated analysis also can explore the implications of emerging trends such as the historical first involving simultaneous population aging and overall population decline.
