Age-proofing Aotearoa: Rethinking our infrastructure for an ageing population is the new report by the Helen Clark Foundation and WSP New Zealand. The report highlights some of the challenges posed by our ageing population, and the solutions that are well within our reach.

Aotearoa New Zealand is ageing rapidly. Within the next 25 years, as many as 1.6 million New Zealanders are expected to be over the age of 65. In general our increased life expectancy is a positive story, and most New Zealanders over 65 enjoy high levels of wellbeing. However, for our infrastructure and social services, these changing demographics require a rethink of how we meet increased and changing demands.

Housing, healthcare, aged care, transport, social infrastructure like libraries and parks, and urban design all play an important role in supporting an ageing population to lead happy, healthy lives. However, across these domains, New Zealand lacks a coherent, long-term plan that accounts for ageing. Our migration policies are reactive, population projections are not consistently used to inform investment, and coordination between central and local government is weak.

This report does not point to these problems as a crisis. Instead, we see them as a call to act. Infrastructure planning must aim not only to expand capacity but also to ensure equitable access, enabling all older people to age with dignity, independence, and connection. With strategic investment and integrated planning, population ageing can be transformed into an opportunity: to build communities that are healthier, more inclusive, and better prepared for the future. Done well, this will not only sustain economic resilience but also make New Zealand one of the best places in the world to grow old.

Read our other infrastructure-focused reports here:

The press release for this report is here.

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