The percentage of senior citizens in Macao's population is to rise from 10 percent to 39 percent over the next decade, local media reported Thursday.

The Macao Post Daily quoted Vu Shun Him, a local medical expert, as saying that the number of old people will increase rapidly in the Asia-Pacific region over the next 10 years.

A two-day conference on long-term health care for the aged population is to be held here on Oct. 18-19, Vu, vice-chairperson of the board of directors of the Kiang Wu Nursing college, told the newspaper.

The aged population, in demography, comprises inhabitants aged at 65 or above. Macao currently has a population of 503,000.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2006)