Population Aging and Everyday Challenges for Older Adults in Bangladesh

Abstract

Population aging is an emerging demographic issue in Bangladesh as the number and proportion of older adults are increasing faster than other segments of population. The continued growth of older population will challenge the existing health care services, social and economic security, family structures, and public policies. Moreover, the current COVID-19 pandemic has also profoundly influenced the socioeconomic status, public health services, and subsequently well-being of older adults. This chapter used a range of data sources such as Census data (2011), in-depth interviews with older adults (N = 30), and an online survey on implications of COVID-19 on older adults (N = 221). This chapter aims to highlight the challenges of population aging in Bangladesh. Older adults in Bangladesh tend to face greater challenges in terms of income support, health services, access to public transport, and mobility. Traditionally, the older adults in Bangladesh were being taken care of by the family members but the changing sociodemographic and family structure is likely to influence their living arrangements, social interactions, and mental health. To address the challenges, it is essential to understand the complexities of socioeconomic characteristics, law of property inherence, health, family structure, and cultural perspectives toward older adults for framing better policy that would lead to improved quality of life of older adults.