On a visit to Efrat, Deputy Minister for Pensioner Affairs Leah Ness said that Tuesday that while Efrat was a relatively youthful town, with only 4% of its citizens over 65, Israeli society as a whole was an aging one. Currently, she said, ten percent of the population was 65 and older, and that within two decades that percentage would double. "This is an important change for the country which will influence our demography, society, economy, and political structure. Proper long-term planning is necessary to prepare for this situation," she said.