The aging of Barbadian population is unÂusual in several respects. The median population age, as discussed below, is risÂing rapidly relative to other nations, inÂcluding those of Europe and North America. Among developing countries, Barbados now has one of the highest proÂportions of older persons, with 17 percent of the population aged 55 and over and nearly 11 percent having reached or surÂpassed age 65. Both figures are considerÂably above the Caribbean average (table 1), and are due in part to a steep decline in fertility since 1970, which has lowered the proportion of population in younger age groups. At the same time, however, the number of persons aged 55 and over is declining slightly, and will remain esÂsentially unchanged in the early 1990’s. This reflects, to some extent, the aging of cohorts that have been deciÂmated by past emigration. …
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