In Finland, the number of people aged 70 and older surpassed one million in August. Now, this age group includes the post-World War II generation.
In Estonia, there are a total of 203,000 people aged 70 and older. This accounts for 15% of all people in Estonia. In Finland, this age group makes up 20%.
Professor Allan Puur from Tallinn University says these numbers show that the population is aging. In Estonia, life expectancy has been shorter than in Finland. In the 1990s and 2000s, this difference was significant.
According to Statistics Estonia, one in ten people aged 70-89 worked last year. In total, there were 18,300 of them. Among men, 14% worked, and among women, 8%. More than half of them worked part-time.
People with higher education continue to work more often than those with low or medium education levels. Liili Abuladze from Tallinn University says the reasons for working vary.
"In Estonia, the most common reason is financial need. Many need money. Others enjoy working and feel they are contributing to society," said Abuladze.
Older people often work in education, healthcare, or social care. According to various forecasts, the share of older workers will continue to grow.
Abuladze says that companies should think about how to support the aging workforce. "It may be necessary to become more flexible and improve employees' skills," she said.
Professor Allan Puur added that the aging population increases the country's spending on pensions and healthcare. Older people have greater political weight in elections.
Society needs to start thinking more about the needs of the elderly, not just topics aimed at young people, such as education and family policy.