As the international community prepares for the 2026 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), attention is turning to progress on water, energy, cities and partnerships. Yet one essential question remains: how can sustainable development succeed if it does not fully include older persons?
Population aging is reshaping societies worldwide. Across all regions, the number of older persons is increasing rapidly, with important implications for labor markets, public services and systems of care.
By 2050, older persons will represent more than one in six people globally. Despite this demographic reality, their rights, needs and contributions remain insufficiently reflected in the implementation and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Access to water and sanitation remains unequal for many older persons, particularly where infrastructure does not consider reduced mobility, disability or rural isolation. For some, the simple act of collecting water or accessing a toilet can become unsafe or undignified. Age-responsive design, including proximity, accessibility and safety, must become standard if universal access is to be achieved.
Energy poverty disproportionately affects older persons – especially older women – limiting access to heating, cooling, and clean cooking. In many contexts, older persons face difficult trade-offs between energy costs and other basic needs. In the context of climate change, this has direct consequences for health, resilience and survival.
Affordable and sustainable energy policies must explicitly address aging populations.
Urban environments are often not designed for aging societies. Barriers in housing, transport and public spaces restrict participation, autonomy and access to services. As cities continue to grow, there is a unique opportunity to invest in inclusive design, age-friendly environments and accessible infrastructure that benefit people of all ages.
From recognition to action
Analysis across these four SDGs points to a clear conclusion: aging is not a marginal issue, but a cross-cutting dimension of sustainable development that requires deliberate and coordinated action.
Three priorities stand out
First, aging must be systematically integrated across all SDG implementation efforts, rather than treated as a separate or sectoral concern. Policies on water, energy, urban development and beyond must explicitly consider the realities of aging populations if they are to be effective and inclusive.
Second, data and evidence must be significantly strengthened to inform policymaking and track progress.
Persistent gaps in age-disaggregated data continue to limit visibility and accountability. Initiatives such as the Titchfield City Group on aging-related statistics play a critical role in addressing these gaps and supporting more informed decision-making.
Third, international cooperation must be reinforced through stronger partnerships and clearer normative frameworks. Existing regional instruments demonstrate that progress is possible and provide valuable guidance for global action, including ongoing discussions towards a United Nations convention on the rights of older persons.
Taken together, these priorities highlight the need to move beyond recognition towards practical and measurable change.
The 2026 High-Level Political Forum offers a timely opportunity to move from recognition to action, accelerate this shift, and ensure that ageing is fully reflected in global development efforts.
Pleasingly, 2026 Ministerial Declaration of the High-Level Political Forum sends an encouraging signal. It recognizes population aging as a defining demographic trend, calls for social policies responsive to people of all ages, promotes intergenerational solidarity and highlights the importance of age-disaggregated data, accessible transport, inclusive public spaces and closing the digital divide affecting older persons. These commitments reflect growing recognition that aging must be addressed across the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The challenge now is to translate these commitments into action. Ensuring that older persons are fully included is not a marginal concern; it is a defining test of our collective commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Building a society for all generations requires more than inclusive policies.
It requires recognizing older persons as active contributors to sustainable development, not only as beneficiaries. Only by embracing this perspective can we truly fulfil the promise of leaving no one behind and build societies that work for people of all ages, now and in the future.