On 1 October 2026, the world marks the International Day of Older Persons under a theme that captures one of the defining transformations of our time: “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives.” This is not merely a celebration of longer lifespans. It is a call to confront a profound truth: our institutions were built for shorter lives, and they are buckling under the weight of a demographic shift without historical precedent.
The numbers tell the story. The global population aged 60 or over is projected to rise from approximately 1.22 billion in 2025 to more than 2.1 billion by 2050. Growth is fastest at the oldest ages: populations aged 80 or over are expected to more than double, and the number of centenarians to increase more than fourfold by mid-century. A person reaching age 60 in 2025 could expect to live another 21.6 years on average, nearly three years longer than in 2000. In 1950, someone who reached 80 could expect roughly five more years. By 2026, that figure has risen to 7.7 years for men and 9.1 years for women.
These gains represent one of humanity’s greatest achievements. But they also expose a troubling gap. In 2019, global life expectancy reached 73.1 years, yet people could expect to spend only 63.5 of those years in good health, leaving an average of 9.6 years lived with illness or disability, up from 8.7 years in 2000. Longer lives, in other words, are not automatically healthier lives. The concept note for this year’s UN commemoration puts it starkly: where gains in life expectancy are not accompanied by improvements in healthy life expectancy, older persons may spend more years in poorer health, limiting their functional ability, well-being, autonomy and participation.
This is where the theme’s call to “rethink systems” becomes urgent. Longevity intersects with health systems, labor markets, social protection frameworks, education, housing and infrastructure planning in ways that are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation. Yet our policy frameworks remain stubbornly siloed. The Secretary-General’s recent report to the General Assembly calls for coherent, whole-of-government approaches that align institutions and medium- and long-term planning with the realities of longer lives. It emphasizes that the outcomes of longer lives depend on policy choices, investments across the life course, and the capacity of institutions to adapt.
The stakes could not be higher. Globally, only 52.4 per cent of people are covered by at least one social protection benefit, leaving 3.8 billion entirely unprotected. More than 2 billion workers, 57.8 per cent of the global workforce, are in informal employment with limited job security and social protection. Extending coverage to workers outside formal employment arrangements is an essential complement to any reforms aimed at adapting pension, health and long-term insurance systems to longer lives.
But there is also an opportunity. When extended lifespans are accompanied by sustained health, productivity and participation, they can generate what has been described as a “longevity dividend”, the gains that arise when sustained health, productivity and participation accompany extended life spans. Realizing this dividend requires moving beyond conventional measures that classify people as “working-age” or “dependent” solely by chronological age. Such measures overstate dependency and overlook paid and unpaid work, caregiving, entrepreneurship, mentoring and knowledge-sharing. Challenging ageist assumptions is not a matter of political correctness; it is a prerequisite for policies that reflect how people actually live, work and contribute as they age.
Prevention offers substantial returns. A systematic review of 52 studies found that each USD 1 invested in public health interventions generated approximately USD 14 in economic and health returns. Yet prevention accounted for only around 3 per cent of total health expenditure across OECD countries in 2023. Clinical care accounts for just 10 to 20 per cent of health outcomes; the remaining 80 to 90 per cent are driven by social, economic, environmental and behavioral factors. The message is clear: investing in prevention, age-friendly environments and lifelong well-being is not a cost. It is the most efficient path to a healthier, more productive longevity.
April 2027 will mark 25 years since the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing was adopted, still the cornerstone of international efforts in this regard. As the international community prepares to renew that commitment, this year’s International Day of Older Persons invites governments, civil society, the private sector, researchers and older persons themselves to examine how societies can ensure that the additional years gained translate into healthy, productive, dignified and equitable lives for all.
The age of longevity is not a distant projection. It is here. The question is not whether we can afford to rethink our systems. It is whether we can afford not to.
Assistant Professor at the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in Tehran, Iran. He earned his Ph.D. in Gerontology with honors in 2017, following his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Rehabilitation Sciences. Dr. Rashedi is an esteemed member of several prestigious organizations, including the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART), and the American Psychological Association (APA). His research primarily focuses on mental health and psychogeriatrics. Since 2019, Dr. Rashedi has been a Senior Collaborator for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) at the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in the United States.