Getting Older, Getting Over: Creating an Age-Friendly Smart City
An ageing population undoubtedly poses problems for society. However, an elderly person’s twilight years can still be active with better digital and social inclusiveness in society
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Growing old is an inevitable part of life. Thanks to modern medicine, people are living longer and healthier lives. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in six people globally will be over the age of 60 by 2030, up from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, this number is expected to more than double to 2.1 billion.
Life expectancy in Hong Kong has surpassed that of Japan’s to become among the highest in the world. Figures from 2021 showed that Hong Kong men can expect to live an average of 83.2 years, while women’s life expectancy is a whopping 87.9 years, according to the Department of Health at the Centre for Health Protection.
Census data published in 2022 noted that the proportion of persons aged 65 and over in the population has risen to 20 per cent in 2021. For those aged 85 years and above, the proportion has reached 16 per cent, and is expected to surpass 30 per cent by 2066. In other words, almost one in three people will be aged 85 or above then.
While this is good news from a health perspective, from a social governance point of view these developments will pose significant challenges regarding how to help the elderly live better and increase their quality of life following retirement.
Blueprint for a Better City
In 2017, the Hong Kong government rolled out a Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong that aimed to develop digital infrastructure to help residents in their daily lives.