Starenje stanovništva – izazov socijalne politike

Abstract

In the first part of the paper the author makes observations about the demographic processes and ageing of the population. In the second part some basic data about ageing that determines prolongation of life cycle are presented on one hand, and the decreased rates of demographic reproduction on the other. The second part of the paper outlines the projections about the ageing of the population in Croatia and Europe in the following decades. In the third part of the paper public policies focused on overcoming and mitigating consequences of the population ageing are discussed. These include the concept of active ageing, reforms in pension and health systems and the system of the care for the elderly. Finally, the author reflects on some aspects of the future intergenerational contract that should be based on the paradigm adjusted with the changes of circumstances in which people live nowadays.