Experts urge flexible retirement and better elderly care as Sri Lanka ages rapidly

► RAISING RETIREMENT AGE TO 70 MORE REALISTIC, SAYS IHP HEAD ► SIX PERCENT OF POPULATION TO BE OVER 80 BY 2050 ► UNFPA FLAGGED SRI LANKA'S AGEING TREND AS EARLY AS 2012

- By SHANNINE DANIEL

With a quarter of Sri Lanka's population projected to be over the age of 60 by the early 2040s, experts are calling for more flexible retirement policies, adaptable working conditions, and stronger elderly care systems.

The current minimum retirement age for most public and private sector workers is 60 years, under the Minimum Retirement Age of Workers Act of 2021, with exceptions for public sector employees in specialised roles.

“We should ensure that people above 60 have a more productive working life and do not become completely dependent on the younger generations,” said Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne, Head of Migration and Urbanisation Policy Research at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Sri Lanka, during a recent online discussion organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).