What kind of country do we want to grow old in?

Denise Cosgrove, Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand National Forum for the Decade of Healthy Ageing and CEO of The Selwyn Foundation

Each of us hopes to grow old and enjoy life for as long as we can. The question is what kind of country we will grow old in. Will our later years be shaped by connection, purpose and good health, or by insecurity across the key domains of wellbeing: health, housing, financial hardship, social isolation/loneliness and access – with support systems only stepping in when things have reached crisis point?

A few weeks ago, I turned 60. When I was born, one in 12 New Zealanders were over 65. When I turn 65, it will be one in five. This shift alone demands a different kind of planning.

That New Zealanders are living longer than ever is a remarkable achievement built on decades of health and social progress - between 1980 and 2020, 10 years were added to the average New Zealander’s life expectancy at birth. But while our lives have grown longer, we have not yet embraced the long-term planning needed to make those extra years good ones.

We can start by seeing our ageing population as one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing opportunities. The economic data backs this up: labour-force participation among those aged 65–69 has risen from 10 percent in 1993 to nearly 50 percent in 2023. One in four New Zealanders over 65 is working, putting us among the highest rates in the OECD, and annual expenditure by older New Zealanders is projected to reach $176 billion by 2071.

Yet, too often, New Zealand refers to its ageing population as something to manage, a looming wave of costs and care. We hear phrases like ‘retirement burden’ and ‘dependency ratio’, and this language labels people as problems.

The reality is very different. Older New Zealanders are contributing for longer and giving immense value through caregiving, volunteering and mentorship.

Longer lives are not a crisis. With thoughtful ageing policy, we can continue to strengthen our workforce and communities, stay connected and age in place, which in turn reduces long-term pressures on health and social systems. We have a real chance to turn our longevity into one of New Zealand’s greatest strengths.

This month, the Aotearoa National Forum for the Decade of Healthy Ageing launched its five pledges at Parliament. These call for a non-partisan, cross-sector approach to how New Zealand can prepare for a longevity era by:

1. collecting more specific, segmented data about our older generations;
2. ensuring suitable, affordable housing for older people;
3. helping every person make a plan to thrive for life;
4. expanding community wrap-around support;
5. and introducing proactive health checks.

These pledges offer simple, practical, cost-effective steps that can be taken now, and are grounded in evidence that ageing well benefits everyone. They give us a pathway to shift focus from what ageing might cost to what ageing can contribute – and to design the systems that enable people to thrive as they grow older.

Supporting healthy ageing is not just good social policy, it’s good economics. It strengthens productivity, reduces health costs and builds resilience in families and communities.

Our public debate is currently dominated by short-term pressures, and it can feel impossible to think beyond next week’s grocery bill, let alone what housing or healthcare we’ll need in 20 years’ time. Even so, thinking a little further ahead creates an opportunity to invest now so those future decades are lived with purpose, connection and in good health.

With a longer view, ageing stops looking like a challenge and starts looking like a chance to shape a stronger, healthier and more connected Aotearoa, for all of us to grow old in.

The National Forum’s pledges are therefore a call to all sectors and political parties to work collaboratively on shared priorities that will deliver better outcomes for older New Zealanders and ensure a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

This article originally appeared in the Sunday Star Times on 30 November 2025