Expert Commission Highlights Participation Opportunities for Older People

The German society is aging – and becoming more in need of care: According to the current aging report, the number of very old and care-dependent people will increase significantly in the coming decades. By 2050, the number of people over 80 could rise from the current 6 million to 8 to 10 million. Similarly, the number of people requiring care will also increase: by 2055, it is expected to rise to 7.6 million. In 2023, there were approximately 5.7 million people in need of care, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

The new report, spanning 250 pages, analyzes the living situation of older people in Germany – and their participation opportunities. “The aging report impressively shows how diverse the living realities of older people in Germany are. This diversity must not only be acknowledged but actively promoted. All older people must have equal opportunities for participation, regardless of gender, origin, or social status,” said the Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth, Lisa Paus, at the presentation of the report. Many women, particularly those with a migration background, as well as queer people, are still particularly disadvantaged. Life situations with severely restricted participation can also arise when older people live in poverty and precarious housing conditions, are physically and/or mentally ill, or experience violence. Participation opportunities can also be restricted when care dependency, social isolation, and loneliness intersect.

Combating Discrimination and Reducing Inequalities

“An aging society offers many opportunities – but we must value the diversity of aging, combat discrimination, and reduce inequalities,” said Prof. Martina Brandt. The professor of Social Structure and Sociology of Aging Societies at TU Dortmund University took over as chair of the Aging Report Commission in the summer of 2022. “To ensure and improve the self-determined equal participation of all older people in times of challenges and crises, we must jointly develop an integrated policy for a good life in old age.” The Federal Ministry for Senior Citizens’ previous initiatives include a strategy against loneliness, an engagement strategy for – often older – people who volunteer in their spare time, and the Digital Pact for Aging.

In 31 recommendations, the expert commission addresses politics and civil society. It suggests, among other things, better securing the material situation in old age, providing a diversity-sensitive health care system, and counteracting age discrimination.

About the Report on Aging

The aging reports of the Federal Government (in German) date back to a resolution by the German Bundestag in 1994. According to this, the government has the task of preparing a report on a senior policy focus topic in each legislative period. The reports are developed by independent expert commissions composed of experts from various fields.

About the Report on Aging (in German)

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