[The cost of gerontology - an attempt at international comparison (author's transl)]

Gerontology as an area of research, teaching, and practice, has developed into a costly "establishment" especially in the developed areas of the world in which there is a high percentage of elderly. Increasing amounts of money are invested in basic and applied research in aging although priority allocated to gerontology is still low when compared to other areas. The University gerontological establishment (Chairs in Gerontology and Geriatrics, Institutes, Centers etc.), has mushroomed in the USA, Europe and the developed areas of the world and its costs, though not exactly known, are growing. However, it is the gerontological practice which is the most costly of all as "graying budgets" of stages and the growing share of aging in GNP of the Western World are showing. Conflicting tendencies are discernible between the growing demands for further development of services and rising costs of care. The question to what extent will societies be able to expand or even to maintain the present investments in gerontological practice is a yet unanswered. On the other hand, the question must be asked what may be the cost of societies if such investments in the growing aging populations are not made by our societies.