While a few countries are making major strides in this regard, the majority are having great difficulty even stemming the rate of increase, let alone reversing it.
At the moment, job creation is barely keeping up with the growing labor force, and although unemployment rates are falling, they remain excessively high, especially among the young and educated.
Businesses that attract top ratings can enjoy rapid growth, as new customers are attracted by good reviews and subsequently provide yet more positive feedback.
Most of this increase is occurring in less developed countries - where the number of older people will rise from 400 million in 2000 to 1.7 billion by 2050.