Provision for elderly people in Hong Kong: some indicators for Asia's newly industrializing countries?

The rapid growth in numbers of elderly people in the newly industrializing countries will throw considerable strain on their resources, particularly in the provision of services and accommodation for this group in society. Hong Kong is a leader amongst the newly industrializing countries of East and Southeast Asia both in terms of economic growth and in terms of its ageing population (more than 11% of its population is more than 60 years old). The ability of families to care for their elderly relatives is changing. Hong Kong has only recently embarked upon a comprehensive and integrated programme to provide a wide range of accommodation and services for the elderly. The experience of relatively wealthy Hong Kong may not prove to be of direct relevance for the majority of poor Third World countries, but it may provide a model for other newly industrializing countries in the region. -Author