INDONESIA FACES AN INCREASING ELDERLY POPULATION

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 22 (Antara) - Indonesia is facing the problem of a growing number of elderly people who are expected to reach over 32 million in the next two decades.           Indonesia's elderly in 2010 was 4.9 percent, or 11,878,236 people, and this number is projected to increase to 10.8 percent, or 32,112,361 people in 2035.           Accourding to senior researcher Sukamdi of the Center for Population and Policy Studies (PSKK) of the Gadjah Mada University  (UGM),the country is actually going to face a big problem.           "The same issue also occurs in other countries such as Japan. However, there is no awareness of the fact that we have a big problem with the elderly. In my view, Indonesia has not shown a sufficient response to the problem of the elderly," Sukamdi said at the UGM campus Saturday.           The data at the UGM's PSSK on Indonesia's Population projections from 2010 to 2035 indicate that the percentage of the elderly population will increase to 100 percent, he said.           In 2010, the percentage was 4.9 percent, or 11,878,236 people, and this number is projected to increase to 10.8 percent, or 32,112,361 people, in 2035.