1. Introduction
Population ageing has come to dominate the demographic
scenarios of all continents. While until the closing decades
of the 20th century population ageing was largely a phenomenon
affecting the most developed countries, many
developing countries entered the 21st century faced with the
prospects of substantial increments in their proportion of
older persons. Most empirical studies hinge the onset of later
life upon a particular ‘chronological’ or ‘calendar’ age, such
as 60 as in the case of the United Nations or 65 as in the case
of the Eurostat. However, chronological age has no ‘innate’
meaning but is derived from the social and historical gist of
specific contexts which, of course, vary. This study reconciles
structural and constructionist implications by defining
‘older persons/adults’ as ‘people, whatever their chronological
age, who are either retired from the labor market or in
a post-career transition, and who are no longer involved in
the major responsibilities for raising their children’. The
concept of ‘population ageing’ focuses in particular on explaining
and documenting the causes and consequences of
long-term shifts or transitions in health, mortality and fertility,
and how these bring about changes to the age and sex
structure of a given population. Malta is no exception to
such trends. The Maltese archipelago is a European Union
(EU) Member State, lies at the heart of the Mediterranean
Sea, and consists of three islands: Comino, Gozo and Malta.
Comino is uninhabited, and with Gozo having just a population
of 31,143 persons, leaves Malta as the major island of
this archipelago state, with as much as 384,912 residents [1].
According to the latest Maltese Census (2011), 16.3 per cent,
or 67,841 persons, of the local population were aged 65
years and over (ibid.). Persons aged 80 years and over
numbered 14,381 – 3.4 per cent of the Malta’s total population
[1]. This study reviews past, ongoing, and future demographic
shifts which transformed Malta into an ‘ageing
population’, whilst also discussing emergent key challenges
for ageing policy as the direct result of such a transition.
1. IntroductionPopulation ageing has come to dominate the demographicscenarios of all continents. While until the closing decadesof the 20th century population ageing was largely a phenomenonaffecting the most developed countries, manydeveloping countries entered the 21st century faced with theprospects of substantial increments in their proportion ofolder persons. Most empirical studies hinge the onset of laterlife upon a particular ‘chronological’ or ‘calendar’ age, suchas 60 as in the case of the United Nations or 65 as in the caseof the Eurostat. However, chronological age has no ‘innate’meaning but is derived from the social and historical gist ofspecific contexts which, of course, vary. This study reconcilesstructural and constructionist implications by defining‘older persons/adults’ as ‘people, whatever their chronologicalage, who are either retired from the labor market or ina post-career transition, and who are no longer involved inthe major responsibilities for raising their children’. Theconcept of ‘population ageing’ focuses in particular on explainingand documenting the causes and consequences oflong-term shifts or transitions in health, mortality and fertility,and how these bring about changes to the age and sexstructure of a given population. Malta is no exception tosuch trends. The Maltese archipelago is a European Union(EU) Member State, lies at the heart of the MediterraneanSea, and consists of three islands: Comino, Gozo and Malta.Comino is uninhabited, and with Gozo having just a populationof 31,143 persons, leaves Malta as the major island ofthis archipelago state, with as much as 384,912 residents [1].According to the latest Maltese Census (2011), 16.3 per cent,or 67,841 persons, of the local population were aged 65years and over (ibid.). Persons aged 80 years and overnumbered 14,381 – 3.4 per cent of the Malta’s total population[1]. This study reviews past, ongoing, and future demographicshifts which transformed Malta into an ‘ageingpopulation’, whilst also discussing emergent key challengesfor ageing policy as the direct result of such a transition.
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