HANOI,March21(Xinhua)--Vietnamisforecasttotransitionfromanagingsocietytoanagedsocietyby2038,accordingtotheMinistryofHealth.Bythisyear,thecountrywillhavemorethan21millionelderly,accountingfornearly20percentofthetotalpopulation,VietnamNewsAgencyreportedThursday.Thenumberofpeopleaged60andmoreaccountedfor11.9percentofthetotalpopulationin2019.By2050,thefigureisforecasttorisetoover25percent.TheministrysaiditwouldtakeVietnamover20yearstotransitionfromanagingsocietytoanagedsociety.TheministrycitedexpertsassayingthatagingpopulationinVietnamledtolaborshortage.Theindustrialandservicesectorswillstruggletorecruitenoughhumanresources,potentiallyloweringlaborproductivity,competitiveness,andnegativelyimpactingeconomicgrowth.AccordingtoTaMinhTuan,vicepresidentoftheVietnamAcademyofSocialSciences,Vietnamshouldnotonlyregardagingpopulationasarisk.Agingpopulationshouldberegardedasafactorthatwillcreatesubstantialchancesforsustainabledevelopmentthroughtheactiveengagementofoldpeople.Thankstotheirexperience,knowledge,skillsandfinancialresources,theelderlycanbecomeimportantfactorsandresourcesinthecommunitytoactivelycontributetosocio-economicdevelopment,familyandcommunity,hesaid.■Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.