The Health Promotion Administration yesterday released its age-friendly city survey results, which showed that 10 cities and counties have populations with more than 14 percent aged 65 or over, the definition of an “aging society.”
The survey, which was conducted last year, showed that elderly people — those aged 65 or over — accounted for 12.5 percent of the nation’s population, with the proportion expected to exceed 14 percent in two years and 20 percent in about nine years, the administration said.
Administration Director-General Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) said the 10 cities and counties were Taipei and Chiayi, and Yunlin, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taitung, Miaoli, Hualien and Yilan counties.
Forty-five towns and districts were found to be “aged societies,” with elderly people accounting for more than 20 percent of the population, Chiou said, adding that in five — New Taipei City’s Pingxi District (平溪), Kaohsiung’s Tianliao (田寮) and Zuozhen (左鎮) districts, Miaoli County’s Shihtan Township (獅潭) and Hsinchu County’s Ermei Township (峨眉) — elderly people exceeded 25 percent of the population.
The administration surveyed 22,755 people aged 60 or more in 22 cities and counties in July and August 2014, asking about satisfaction with the degree of age-friendliness in their home towns, Chiou said.
More than 90 percent of respondents said they did not feel discriminated or excluded by other people, which means society is generally friendly toward elderly people, the administration said.
The top three items that the respondents were most satisfied with were the volume and speed of service personnel at government agencies, prices for public transportation and the sufficiency of health promotion services and community activities.
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