Prepared for the silver tsunami? An examination of municipal old-age dependency and age-friendly policy in Ontario, Canada

In many countries, the proportion of older adults (over 65 years of age) is increasing. Such changes in population challenge the viability of economic systems, because older citizens are dependent on a smaller working population. The World Health Organization developed the age-friendly cities framework and corresponding certification system to encourage local municipalities to develop their own policies to support their aging population. This paper explores the relationship between population aging in individual municipalities and the policy response (or lack thereof) in Ontario, Canada. Our demographic analysis found that old-age dependency is expected to rise in every Ontario municipality, regardless of size. Small municipalities are expected to experience the most severe increases in old-age dependency and are least likely to have started any community level planning for older adults. In addition to the demographic and policy analysis, we outline recommendations on how to encourage municipalities to support their aging populations.