This week, it was reported that there are more than one million 70-year-olds in Finland, which is 20 percent of the population. Joonas Toivola from Statistics Finland explained that this age group now includes the post-World War II baby boom generation.

In Estonia, there are 203,000 people aged 70 and over, approximately 15 percent of the population.

Allan Puur, professor of population studies at Tallinn University, said these figures clearly reflect population aging as well as demographic differences between Estonia and Finland.

The professor pointed out that life expectancy in Estonia has historically been lower.

"These days, the gap is smaller, but if we look at the 1990s or early 2000s, the difference was quite significant, and because of that, Finland has relatively more elderly people," he said.

"Another aspect worth looking into more closely is the role of differences in birth rates, because we know that since around 2010, Finland has seen a fairly sharp and deep decline in births," Puur added.

Working pensioners

Data from Statistics Estonia show 10 percent of people aged 70 to 89 were working last year, a total of 18,300 people. More men (14 percent) than women (8 percent) in this age group were employed, and more than half worked part-time.

The figures also show that people with higher education are more likely to continue working than those with lower or medium levels of education.

Liili Abuladze, senior researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences at Tallinn University, said that the reasons for working vary.

"In Estonia, the most common reason is still financial necessity, which is supported by the country's high rate of poverty risk among older people compared to other European countries. But it is fair to say that almost as many work because they see it as necessary or simply enjoy working. People feel that they can contribute to society and that they are needed. For some, it's also a way to stay connected and feel included," she said.

According to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, the main sectors employing older workers are education, healthcare and social services, and administrative and support services.

Societal challenges

Forecasts show the number of elderly people in Estonia will rise sharply in the coming decades. As a result, several societal challenges will need to be addressed.

Abuladze said organizations, businesses, and employers should consider how to support an aging workforce and their employees.

"This means, on one hand, possibly making recruitment practices more flexible, but also improving the knowledge and skills of existing employees. On the other hand, general social participation or inclusion may still be low here. It has increased among older people in recent years, but again, there may still be room for support," she outlined.

Professor Allan Puur said population aging increases government spending on pensions and healthcare and gives older people more political influence during elections.

As a result, he said, society's long-term focus inevitably shifts from youth-oriented issues such as education and family policy to the needs of older generations.

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