The International Day of Older Persons is observed on 1 October to draw attention to ageing and to the rights and well-being of older people. The UN General Assembly first marked the day in 1990. People aged 60 or above numbered 1.22 billion in 2025 and are expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) seeks to improve the lives of older people, their families and communities. The 2026 theme is “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives.”