2012, European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, is an opportunity to turn our thoughts to the fact that life expectancy for European citizens is growing and the challenges that this presents.

Slovenia’s curtain-raising event for European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations took place at the National Assembly on Thursday 16 January 2012. Numerous events on the theme of European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations have been prepared by the City of Ljubljana and further information about them will follow. Since April 2011, Ljubljana has also been an official member of the World Health Organisation’s Network of Age-Friendly Cities.

At the end of 2010, 16.5% of the population of Slovenia were aged 65 or over and 27.7% of these people live alone.

A baby boy born in Slovenia in 2009 has a life expectancy of almost 76 years, and a girl born in the same year a little over 82 years. In the last decade, life expectancy for men has gone up by 6.2 years and for women by 4.9 years. Among EU member states, the countries with the largest sections of the population aged 65 of over are Germany (20.7%), Italy (20.2%) and Greece (18.9%).

We must never forget that older people are not a burden but a source of experience, wisdom and enrichment of our society.

The official promotional video for European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012 can be seen at this link, while there is further information at the website of the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.