Promoting the 'internal strength' of the elderly in the new era

Vietnam has over 14.3 million elderly people, accounting for nearly 13% of the population, of which nearly 2.5 million are 80 years old or older. It is forecasted that by 2030, the number of people aged 60 or older will be approximately 18 million.

Vietnam officially entered the population aging stage in 2011 and the population aging process is taking place at a rapid pace.

The average life expectancy of Vietnamese people has increased rapidly, from 65.5 years in 1993 to 74.7 years in 2024, higher than many countries with the same per capita income. Along with that, the number of elderly people has also increased rapidly.

They are tall and shady trees who have devoted their whole lives to the country and are still a great resource of intelligence, experience and morality to accompany the nation in the period of integration and strong development.

Vietnam has over 14.3 million elderly people.

Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha said that Vietnam currently has over 14.3 million elderly people, accounting for nearly 13% of the population, of which nearly 2.5 million are aged 80 and over. It is forecasted that by 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over will be approximately 18 million, an increase of nearly 4 million compared to 2024. Besides their important contributions, the elderly also face many challenges, especially the burden of disease and the increasing need for health care.

Statistics show that over 70% of the elderly suffer from an average of 3 or more chronic diseases such as dementia, frailty syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal degeneration... In particular, eye diseases that cause blindness and visual impairment account for a high percentage, such as cataracts, accounting for up to 74% of eye diseases that cause blindness.

General Secretary To Lam especially emphasized the model of "fighting loneliness for the elderly and the aged." (Photo: VNA/Vietnam+)

Speaking at the recent conference to disseminate four important resolutions of the Politburo , General Secretary To Lam especially emphasized the model of "fighting loneliness for the elderly and the aged," considering it a very humane issue, closely linked to the current social reality of Vietnam.

General Secretary To Lam especially emphasized the model of "fighting loneliness for the elderly," considering it a very humane issue, closely linked to the current social reality of Vietnam.

The General Secretary suggested that caring for the elderly should be like caring for students. For those in their 70s and 80s, when their children go to work or school, they often stay at home with little exercise and are prone to loneliness, so nursing homes can organize cars to pick them up for activities during the day and take them home in the afternoon. This model not only helps the elderly interact, exercise, and avoid loneliness, but also creates conditions for the community and private enterprises to participate in elderly care services, thereby both solving the need for social security and forming a new service industry with profound social significance.

The instructions of General Secretary To Lam demonstrate the special attention of the Party and State to the elderly in the context of rapid population aging. It is not only a policy of elderly care, but also a new way of thinking, considering the elderly as a resource, an object that needs to be accompanied instead of simply cared for. This is also a continuation of the determination that the Party, State and the whole society expressed at the launching ceremony of the Month of Action for the Elderly in 2025 with the theme "Promoting the role of the elderly in the era of national development."

The need for care is increasing rapidly.

Associate Professor Phan Le Thu Hang - Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Finance, in charge of advising on the field of Planning, planning, and development strategies of the health sector, said that the need for elderly care in Vietnam is expected to increase rapidly in the coming time, not only due to the rapid increase in the number of elderly people but also due to other factors such as the current limited health status of the elderly.

In 2024, the average life expectancy in Vietnam will reach 74.7 years, but the number of healthy years will only reach 65.4 years. Statistics show that in Vietnam, on average, each elderly person suffers from three diseases and faces the risk of disability due to aging. Medical costs for treating chronic diseases and long-term care for the elderly are estimated to be 7-8 times higher than for young people, putting heavy financial pressure on the public health system.

Associate Professor Hang said that the cost of health care for the elderly is said to have a negative impact on household finances. A survey by author Nguyen Hoang Giang (2022) assessing the household financial burden related to health care for the elderly in Vietnam showed that out-of-pocket spending on health care for elderly household members accounts for 86.3% of total household spending.

In households with elderly members, 8.7% faced catastrophic health care expenditures and 12.2% experienced financial hardship due to health care expenditures. Households found to be at higher risk of financial burden due to health care costs were those with fewer members (including households with only elderly members), living in remote areas, and those with chronic health conditions among the elderly members of the family.

Elderly patients are cared for and treated at a hospital. (Photo: Minh Quyet/VNA)

Huge intellectual resources

Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha said that the work of taking care of the health of the elderly always receives close attention and direction from Party and Government leaders through directive documents.

In particular, the Politburo recently issued Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW dated September 9, 2025 on a number of breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of people's health. The Resolution directed each province and centrally-run city to have at least one specialized hospital; a geriatric hospital or a general hospital with a geriatric department; and elderly care facilities to continue to improve the rehabilitation service system, effectively combining medical facilities and elderly care facilities.

Over the years, our Party and State have always paid special attention to the care of the elderly. Many policies on health care, insurance, and social welfare have been issued to care for the material and spiritual life of the elderly. The system of the Association of the Elderly from the Central to the grassroots level has been operating strongly, becoming an important bridge for the elderly to participate in social activities, and at the same time conveying their voices to management agencies.

Tai Chi performance by the elderly. (Photo: Thanh Tung/VNA)

Reality proves that when cared for and given favorable conditions, the elderly will continue to contribute to the community and the country. They can participate in teaching, advising, mobilizing the masses, building cultural life in residential areas, or simply by sharing life experiences, personal development experiences to instruct and guide their children and grandchildren... Those values, if promoted, will become a great resource to help society develop more sustainably and civilly.

Because the elderly are not only the subjects that need to be cared for, but also the spiritual pillars, moral examples and precious intellectual resources of the nation. Promoting the role of the elderly in the new era is to promote endogenous strength, to contribute to the country's resilience./.

On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt October 1 of each year as the International Day of Older Persons.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phat-huy-suc-manh-noi-sinh-cua-nguoi-cao-tuoi-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-post1066038.vnp