(Science) BEIJING—Asia is graying fast. The portion of the population age 65 or older will more than triple in China, India, and Indonesia—and more than double in Japan—between 2000 and 2050, according to United Nations projections. That’s a triumph of civil society and medical science, but it also poses stiff challenges to Asian nations trying to create or strengthen social safety nets. “Responding to these challenges will be one of the most difficult tasks facing governments in the first half of this century,” warns a report* released here last week by five science academies.
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