Golden Village (GV), one of Singapore’s leading cinema chains, has recently revised its criteria for discounted movie tickets, raising the “senior citizen age” from 55 to 60 years old.
This move aligns GV’s promotions with other local establishments like FairPrice and TransitLink, where senior citizens are recognized as those aged 60 and above.
Source: Coconuts
Senior Citizen Age Increase Aligns with Industry Standards
A GV spokeswoman implemented the new “senior citizen age” criterion of 60 years old in 2024.
She explained that the change aims to align GV’s senior citizen promotions with industry standards practised by other local businesses. The cinema chain reviews its promotions annually and will update the information on its official website accordingly.
Source: I Feel Young SG
Discounts for 60 and Above on Weekdays
Under the revised policy, moviegoers aged 60 and above, falling within the new “senior citizen age” bracket, are eligible for discounted tickets when attending weekday shows before 6 pm.
However, this discount is not applicable on the eve of public holidays and public holidays themselves. GV currently operates 16 multiplexes with 122 screens across Singapore.
Senior Citizen Age Change Causes Confusion
The issue came to light when a user, Jessee Chang, shared a photo of GV tickets on the Facebook page “Complaint Singapore.” The photo showed one ticket priced at S$10.50 and another at S$5, the discounted rate.
Source: Facebook/Jessee Chang
Chang expressed disappointment, stating that GV’s website did not reflect the change in the “senior citizen age” criterion at the time he purchased the tickets.
Terms Subject to Change Without Notice
While clarifying the new policy regarding the age for SC discounts, GV’s spokeswoman stated that the chain “reserves the rights to change any terms without prior notice.” Currently, other cinema chains like Shaw Theatres and Cathay Cineplexes offer discounts for those aged 55 and above, differing from GV’s revised eligibility age of 60 for SC rates.
What is the Global Senior Citizen Age?
There is no universally agreed-upon definition for what age constitutes being a “senior citizen” around the world. However, the United Nations generally uses 60+ years to refer to the older population.
Key Points on Global Senior Citizen Age
- The United Nations considers people aged 60 years and older as part of the older or elderly population globally.
- By 2030, it is projected that 1 in 6 people in the world (16.6%) will be aged 60 years or over, up from 1 in 11 (9.3%) in 2020.
- The SC age threshold varies across countries and regions. Many developed nations have higher age cutoffs like 65+ years to define their elderly population.
- However, developing countries with lower life expectancies often set the senior citizen age lower, like 60 or 55 years old.
- The female population tends to have a higher life expectancy than males. In 2022, women accounted for 55.7% of the global population aged 65 and over.
Although the UN and other international organizations commonly use 60+ years as the benchmark to refer to the older population and track ageing trends worldwide, no strict global definition exists. Countries define senior status based on retirement ages, life expectancy, and other nation-specific factors.
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