Int’l Day of Older Persons being observed today  

International Day of Older Persons is being observed today (October 1) with an aim to spread awareness about issues affecting the elderly—promoting development of a society for all ages. 

The special day for elderly is celebrated every year on October 1. 

This year, the theme of the day is ‘Digital Equity for All Ages' to affirm the need for access and participation of older people in the digital world.

People worldwide are living longer. While life expectancy among people is improving with better health care, lifestyle, sufficient food and improved medical care, the same cannot be said about the quality of life for the elderly.

As per United Nations (UN), the world’s population aged 60 years and older will reach 2 billion by 2050, which was up from 900 million in 2015. 

Today, 125 million people are aged 80 years or older.

History

On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons.  

The day is observed to bring awareness about the inclusion of older persons, while tackling stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination associated with digitalization.

The day also highlights policies to leverage digital technologies for full achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).