The Longevity Shift: Power, Purpose, and Possibility at Every Age

Every month, we share highlights on how innovations and changemakers are shaping society for New Longevity.

• Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies , Ashoka - New Longevity , and Dalberg just launched Longevity: A New Way of Understanding Ageing in India—a new report that maps the country’s evolving longevity landscape and explores how longer lives can become a powerful force for social and economic renewal. ? Download the report now  
• By 2047, over 300 million Indians will be over the age of 60. This shift is already underway and calls for a bold rethink of how we approach learning, work, care, and contribution throughout life. In her The Times Of India article “Silver Can Be the New Swag,” Rohini Nilekani urges us to move beyond viewing older adults as dependents and instead recognize them as essential contributors to India’s future. Her call to action is clear: longevity is no longer a future issue—it’s a present opportunity.

• In a recent Forbes India article, Deepak Saini , professor at India Institute of Science and convener of Longevity India , shares how India’s longevity revolution calls for a shift from reactive sick care to proactive, inclusive healthspan solutions—blending cultural wisdom, technological innovation, and equity. Read more.

• Andrew J Scott in his article You might live to be 100. Are you ready? on The Guardian, lays out the staggering reality: centenarians are the fastest growing age group globally, with nearly 4 million projected by 2054. While lifespan has soared, healthspan has not kept pace. The real challenge now is not to survive longer but to thrive. This means rethinking how we work, learn, save, and connect across a longer life. Longevity is not simply about time—it is about transforming how we live at every stage of life. Read more.

• Retirement planning is lagging in the rising life expectancy. A PLANADVISER report, As Longevity Increases, Retirement Planning Struggles to Keep Up, based on research from the Nationwide Retirement Institute and the American College of Financial Services, shows that living just five extra years can increase the risk of outliving savings by 41%. Most still plan to retire in their 60s—even those expecting to live into their 90s. Additional research from the TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, in their study Retired for How Long?, reveal that many underestimate how long they’ll live and how much they’ll need. With 75% fearing they’ll run out of money and 40% planning to delay retirement, better planning for longevity is no longer optional- it is essential.

• In a powerful show of global unity, the Pontifical Academy for Life , AARP , and the Muslim Council of Elders signed the Vatican City Declaration—a shared commitment to ensuring older adults live with purpose, protection, and inclusion. Held at a historic symposium as a new papacy began, the gathering drew leaders from 20+ countries, sparking urgent conversations on brain health, caregiving, the longevity economy, and age discrimination. From advocating for a global treaty on older adults' rights to investing in community-based brain health solutions, the declaration signals a bold, coordinated push to turn aging into a shared opportunity—not a crisis. Read more.

• Brazil advances Bill 3549/23 to combat age-based discrimination, a national conversation on ageism is gaining momentum—especially around how it impacts women. In Valor Econômico S/A , Professor Maria Jose Tonelli underscores that while ageism affects many, older women bear the brunt due to the double bind of age and gender bias. From being undervalued in youth to dismissed in older age, women face a shrinking window of societal acceptance. Tonelli calls for deep personal and social change, resonating with the broader global movement for longevity and dignity at every age. Read more.

• As classrooms empty out across rural South Korea due to falling birthrates, one school found an unexpected solution: enrolling illiterate grandmothers who never had the chance to learn. At 70, Hwang Wol-geum now rides the school bus with her grandchildren—not to drop them off, but to sit beside them as a first grader. Denied education as a child, she’s now fulfilling a lifelong dream of learning to read and write. In a country confronting demographic decline, these classrooms are becoming powerful symbols of lifelong learning—intergenerational spaces where healing, dignity, and new beginnings thrive. Read more in the New York Times.

• Still on South Korea, new research published in the Journal of the Economics of Ageing reveals uneven gains in the country’s progress toward age-friendly employment. While South Korea has expanded opportunities for older workers overall, women and college-educated individuals have benefited most—leaving behind non-college-educated older men. The findings point to both achievement and a call to action: as Korea navigates demographic shifts, tackling labor market barriers and entrenched social norms will be crucial to broadening access. For aging societies everywhere, the path forward lies not just in extending working lives, but in ensuring work is equitable, supportive, and designed for all.

• Ashoka Fellows are shaping global narratives on aging, mental health, and youth development through bold, community-rooted action. In her TEDxFrutillar talk (in Spanish), The Revolution of the Elders, 77-year-old Ximena Abogabir , Cofounder of Travesia100 challenges ageist norms and envisions a future where older adults are seen as changemakers. Meanwhile, Dixon Chibanda , founder of the Friendship Bench , traces the roots of his global mental health movement in his new book, The Friendship Bench—a powerful testament to the healing force of human connection and community wisdom. In Kenya, Futbol Mas Africa, co-founded by Víctor Manuel Gutiérrez Rojas , continues to promote youth well-being through sport, reaching over 25,000 young people and shaping national policy on physical education.

"The most important right is the right to give. That's what brings health, happiness, and longevity. But you can't be a giver in a world defined by change unless you're a changemaker. Our mission is everyone a changemaker. " – Bill Drayton, Founder and CEO, Ashoka

Your Turn

Curious how 100+ social innovators are reshaping life’s second half—and redefining our future? Meet the changemakers in the New Longevity Hall of Fellows and see how they are turning longer lives into a global opportunity. ? Explore the Hall of Fame