Asia, which is home to some of the most populous nations in the world, has aged rapidly over the second half of the twentieth century. IPS Senior Research Fellow Yap Mui Teng provides initial underpinnings in her co-authored article 'Introduction: Aging in Asia—Perennial Concerns on Support and Caring for the Old', published in the Journal of Cross Cultural Gerontology. Joining her are Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng (Japanese Studies Department, National University of Singapore) and Associate Professor John W. Traphagan (Population Research Center and Center for East Asian Studies, University of Texas at Austin). An abstract of the article is reproduced below:

This introductory article provides background to an understanding of "Aging in Asia," focusing on the demographics of population aging in Asia. It discusses the differences in the magnitude of the aged population in different parts of Asia and highlights the perennial concerns of care and support facing the aged and their families as Asian societies grapple with the graying population. Globalization is one important factor presenting new challenges as well as opportunities to aging Asia. The introduction substantiates the discussions in this special issue, which range from an examination of broad issues of support for the aged and policy directions in East and Southeast Asia, to specific concerns relating to activity and elderly in Singapore, intergenerational relationships in Korea, and issues concerning caregiving of the old in Singapore.

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