Population aging: A comparison among industrialized countries

Increasing longevity and declining fertility rates are shifting the age dis tribution of populations in industrialized countries toward older age group s. Some countries will experience this demographic shift before others will . In this DataWatch we compare the effects of population aging on health sp ending, retirement policies, use of long-term care services, workforce comp osition, and income across eight countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germ any, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Interna tional comparisons suggest that the United States is generally well positio ned to cope with population aging; however, three areas should be carefully monitored: heavy reliance on private-sector funding of retirement, coverag e of pharmaceuticals for the elderly, and a high proportion of private long -term care financing.