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Demographic Data on Middle East Aging Populations
During the World Assembly on Ageing (2002), several Middle East countries reported in on their current and projected populations over 60 years.
At a national level, Egypt was found to have the highest number of people aged 60 years and older, at 4.3 million or 6.3 per cent of the total population in 2000, which is set to rise to some 23.7 million or 20.8 per cent by 2050.
Within the context of absolute populations, that age bracket is projected to exceed 10 million in Algeria and Morocco, and 5 million in five other countries, namely, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen.
However, in terms of evaluating the ageing of a population, the percentage of that age bracket to the total population is a more revealing measure. In 2000, this percentage was found to be comparatively even, ranging from a low of 3.1 per cent in Qatar to 8.5 per cent in Kuwait.
By stark contrast, in 2050, approximately a quarter of the populations in five countries are expected to be aged 60 years and older. These are as follows: Bahrain, at 24.0 per cent; Kuwait, at 25.7 per cent; Lebanon, at 25.4 per cent; Tunisia, at 24.6 per cent; and United Arab Emirates, at 26.7 per cent. However, there are significant regional disparities that can be attributed to the varying stages of demographic transition and, more specifically, to differences in fertility and mortality rates.
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