The growing burden of an ageing population?

The author asserts that the problems posed by demographic aging in developed countries have been overstated, noting instead that "the transition to an older population will be gradual enough to allow time to plan. The importance of the shift in the so-called 'dependency ratio' is exaggerated because 'dependency' is unsatisfactorily defined. Nor is there clear evidence that as more people live to be older health and social service costs will rise accordingly: people are remaining fit to later ages and there is strong evidence that they can continue to make a positive contribution to the economy as workers and as consumers until relatively late ages. Social services can also be redesigned to maximize the independence of the elderly while minimizing costs."