New Zealanders are living longer. As our population continues to age and grow, how can New Zealand create an environment that supports ‘active ageing’?
Ageing populations are a challenge being faced by many countries. Aotearoa New Zealand is no different.
Because of this, the Ministry of Health has chosen the topic ‘Unlocking the Potential of Active Ageing’ for its latest Long-term Insights Briefing.
This will focus on how active ageing can help to create health-promoting and supportive environments to empower older people and enhance their contributions to society.
The Ministry is now inviting New Zealanders to share their views on the topic and scope of our briefing, using our online consultation platform.
This is the first part of a two-part public consultation approach to develop our briefing.
Director-General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati says active ageing focuses on ways to maximise older people’s health and participation in society.
‘Older people are making more valuable contributions than ever, because of better health, technology changes, and societal changes.
‘This is not just about the needs of “Baby Boomers”. Our briefing will be future-focused and look to the decades ahead. In 2045, Gen X will have the biggest share of the older people. And in 2056, “Millennials” will become the biggest share.’
In 2022, one in every six people in Aotearoa New Zealand was aged over 65. By 2028, this number will change to one in five people, and it could reach one in four by the 2050s.
The Ministry has published a consultation document, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Active Ageing: Creating health-promoting and supportive environments to empower older people and enhance their contributions to society’.
The Ministry wants to know:
- what people think about the topic;
- what health-promoting and supportive environments can support active ageing;
- what barriers there are to active ageing;
- and what are the risks of not supporting active ageing in the next 20 years.
People can answer these questions through our online consultation portal. Consultation closes at 5pm on Monday 2 December.
Long-term Insights Briefings contribute to future decision-making by improving public sector thinking around opportunities and challenges. They encourage public discussion about the topics.
These briefings are independent of Ministers and are not government policy.
The Ministry’s first Insights Briefing on precision health was published in August 2023.
