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Youth today, elderly tomorrow: Addressing Indonesia's demographic shift
Indonesia has long held an aversion to older people, but as the demographic bonus generation ages, a shift in perspective is urgently needed.
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Senior moment: A caregiver gives an elderly woman a balloon at Pengayoman care home in Semarang, Central Java, on June 3 during a commemoration of National Elderly Day. (Antara/Makna Zaezar)
I
n Indonesia, age significantly dictates opportunities and limitations. Job openings for entry-level positions often have a maximum age limit of 25 years. College applications are restricted to students who graduated high school within the last two years.
Even in marriage, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data in 2022 showed that one-third of young people marry for the first time between 19 and 21, and more than half marry before age 25. Consequently, societal culture deeply admires youth. It is common to see someone go viral solely for being young. For example, last year, a student gained widespread media attention for being admitted to a premier medical faculty at the tender age of 15.
The national media is filled with stories of the "youngest ever" in various fields, such as the youngest professor, military general or legislator. Universities even honor the "youngest graduate" during their ceremonies.
Conversely, the country's fascination with youth means that aging is feared. There are limited opportunities to change jobs, access government scholarships or start afresh in almost any field if you are older. As a result, there is little chance of a good quality of life once you are past productive age.
The 2023 National Workforce Survey revealed that almost 80 percent of elderly people (aged 60 and above) come from lower-middle-income backgrounds, only 33 percent have savings and more than 7 percent do not own a house.
About 54 percent still serve as breadwinners for their families, with 85 percent working in the informal sector. Most are uneducated and earn an average income of only Rp 1.7 million (US$104) per month.
The emphasis on youth is not without reason. Indonesia is said to be benefitting from a "demographic dividend" phenomenon, where the working-age population (15 to 64) is larger than the non-working-age population (under 15 and over 65).
