Armenia is trying to ensure healthy and active old age

Today is International Day of Elderly. In Armenia, the number of people aged 63 and over is 12.9 per cent of the total population, about 387,000.

According to international standards, the country is considered to be aging if the number of people aged 65 years and older crosses 12%. In recent years there has been a tendency to increase the number of elderly people in Armenia. If this number has doubled compared to the 1990s, in 2024, UNFPA predicts that more than 65% of the population will constitute 2% of the population. Increasing the number of elderly people in the population is conditioned by declining birth rates, emigration, and longevity trends, which is associated with the development of healthcare. The increase in the number of elderly people also means that the number of people working in the population decreases, which creates serious economic problems for the state.

In order to find solutions in this direction, the government has decided to change its policy towards the elderly, not being limited to them only with social protection and care. At a cabinet meeting Thursday, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan instructed to discuss the possibility of involving the elderly in the labor market.

Taking into account the above-mentioned as well as the necessity of adopting new approaches in the policy towards the elderly, the Prime Minister instructed the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs to discuss the possibility of getting involved in the labor market in a one-month period. At the same time, he noted that it is necessary to study the international experience and submit appropriate recommendations for introducing Social Alternative Services (such as day care centers and home care).

Full text in Armenian