The educational needs of elderly people (those over 60 years) around the world are examined in this paper. First, brief attention is given to the changing demographic structure in various regions of the world, and emphasis is placed on the dramatic increases in the proportion of elderly in the world's population. Particular references are made to recent changes in the age structure of Australia and New Zealand. The educational needs of the elderly, and ways in which they are being met, are described in terms of the differing theories of R. J. Havighurst and H. Y. McCluskey. Policies and provisions in practice throughout the world are discussed next, including: legislatively supported education programs for the elderly; the elder hostel system in United States universities; the European "universities du troisieme age" (universities of the third age); the United Kingdom's Forum for the Rights of the Elderly Persons to Education; Chinese organizations which support lifelong learning; and the Wider Horizons program of New Zealand. A brief concluding section predicts that the educational concerns of the elderly will increasingly be given prominence over the coming decades, especially as the elderly themselves seek to assert their rights and access to education. (KH)