Chairpersons of the symposium "Silver economy in Vietnam in the new era". Photo: VOV1

At Vietnam’s first symposium on silver economy in Hanoi, participants said Vietnam is entering a period of unprecedented rapid population aging. In 2025, the number of elderly people (aged 60 and over) accounts for over 14% of the population. By 2036, Vietnam is forecast to become a country with an aging population.

According to Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, the development of silver economy, also known as longevity economy or silver hair economy, needs to shift to the mindset of investment–value creation–market, in order to build a humane and civilized social model.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan offered his view, saying “The era of national development requires the dedication of more than 100 million people, not just young people. For the elderly who are not very old, it is not about taking care of the elderly but finding a way for them to take care of themselves. This is also a necessary approach.”

The Vietnam Association of the Elderly is piloting a model of a semi-boarding nursing home (pick up in the morning, take home in the afternoon) and studying a model of a happy village for the elderly and a model of an intergenerational self-help club.