Indonesia Entered an Aging Population Structure Since 2021

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) states that Indonesia has entered an aging population phase. This is evident from the percentage of the population aged 60 and above (elderly/senior citizens) which has exceeded 10% since 2021.

An increase in the elderly population can have complex consequences if not carefully managed. With the growing number of senior citizens, the population dependency ratio will also increase.

Based on the BPS's March 2022 National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas), the percentage of the elderly population reached 10.48% in 2022. This means that about 1 in 10 people are elderly.

The old-age dependency ratio reached 16.09% in March 2022. This means that every one elderly person is supported by approximately six people of productive age (15-59 years old).

The proportion of the elderly population in urban areas reached 56.05% in March 2022, higher than in rural areas which was only 43.95%.

Based on age group, 65.56% of the elderly are in the young-old group (60-69 years), followed by 26.76% in the middle-old group (70-79 years), and 7.69% in the oldest-old group (80 years and above).