Korea is ageing faster than any other country
22-Jul-14, Business Korea
The number of economically-active people supporting one elderly person will drop below two in Korea by 2036. Korea is expected to become an aged country more quickly than any other country in the world.
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According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the population supporting one older person will drop below two to 1.96 by 2036, from 5.26 this year.
The ratio of productive population supporting each aged person in Korea consistently decreased from 15.79 in 1950 to 9.83 in 1997, which was the first time it dropped below ten.
Currently Korea has the third lowest dependency ratio in the world. The only countries with higher productive population supporting one elderly are Mexico (8.49) and Chile (5.29). Japan records the lowest of 2.19 among all OECD member countries.