Due to population explosion and a global increase in average life expectancies, an unprecedentedly high percentage of the world's population is aging. By the middle of this century there will be up to 2 billion individuals over the age of 65, a demographic shift never before experienced in our human history. In addition, declining birth rates in industrialized countries means a decrease in the number of adults 64. In Aging Social Policies: An International Perspective the authors consider how policy – domestic and international – affects and will continue to affect the lives of our aging population.