Senior Health in a Changing Climate: Unique Needs of a Complex Population

The senior proportion of the population is growing—and growing fast. By 2050, the worldwide number of people more than 60 years of age is expected to reach 1.5 billion, or 22% of the global population; that is more than double the number in 2019, when they made up just 12%.1 This surge stems from longer lifespans, thanks to decades of improvements in disease treatment and prevention, coupled with shrinking birth rates.2,3

The boom will be especially pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).2 In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the number of people more than 65 years of age is projected to grow by 218% by 2050, and in Northern Africa and Western Asia by 226%.1 In Europe and North America, by contrast, that figure is only 48%.1

Global aging is occurring in tandem with global temperature increases—and with the increasing frequency of climate-related events that follow, such as heat waves, floods, and droughts.4 In July 2024, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that the global mean air temperature across the previous 12 months was 1.64°C hotter than in preindustrial times.5 That global average is projected to increase to 1.66–1.97°C above preindustrial times by 2050.6

Extreme heat is perhaps the most direct climate-related threat older adults face.7 However, they also have unique needs related to mobility, cognitive decline, and other age-related concerns. Because climate change presents special risks for older people, special adaptation strategies are needed to protect them.2

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