Roughly half of all consumers are women, a statistic that holds true even within the digital services sector. For instance, women make up almost half of European video game players. However, a significant disconnect exists: 60% of women who play mobile games believe that only 30% or fewer of those games are designed for them. (Ukiepedia.)
Furthermore, demographic shifts are creating new market needs. People are living longer, more active lives and are consuming services in ways that differ significantly from previous generations. This longevity highlights a large and currently underserved market: ageing women who are in critical need of better-designed digital services.
The Silver Economy is a concept developed to describe the economic activities focused specifically on people aged 50 and over. The primary goal is to encourage companies to recognize and act upon the new market opportunities created by global demographic changes, particularly the increase in longevity. (Silver Economy Study 2018.)
A broader, societal perspective views new technologies as central to this shift. These technologies can play a vital role in reducing the costs of ageing, improving the quality of life for older adults, and promoting economic growth.
Given that women typically live longer than men, most of the elderly population are women. It is a common mistake to assume that ageing population only require digital health services. The market is much broader. For instance, digital gamers over the age of 50 already account for approximately one-quarter of all gamers, and this market is experiencing rapid growth. However, there is a difference in the reasons for playing and the genres preferred: older gamers, for instance, are more drawn to single-player games such as puzzles. (Elliot 2024; Ukiepedia.)
Ageing is a highly individual and diverse process, and women over 50 are in vastly different life situations. This group is composed of individuals with their own distinct interests, a broad variety of preferences, and differing levels of functional capacity, needs, and opportunities to use digital services.
Consequently, 50+ women use diverse digital services. This heterogeneity offers a significant, yet largely untapped opportunity: the co-creation of services with this target group.
A major development challenge arises from the current composition of the workforce: if the majority of software developers are young men, they may inherently lack understanding of the complex needs of women, particularly older women.
To successfully address the market opportunity presented by ageing consumers, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry needs diverse personnel who genuinely understand the needs of diverse target groups. Ultimately, more inclusive digital services benefit everyone, leading to better services and a wider market reach.
References
Elliot, R. 2024. Older gamers are a growth opportunity for AA(A) publishers. MiDiA Research. https://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/older-gamers-are-a-growth-opportunity-for-aaa-publishers-here-is-how-to-capture-it. Retrieved 2.12.2025.
Silver Economy Study: How to stimulate the economy by hundreds of millions of Euros per year. 2018. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/silver-economy-study-how-stimulate-economy-hundreds-millions-euros-year. Retrieved 1.12.2025.
Ukiepedia. Player Diversity & Demographics. https://ukiepedia.ukie.org.uk/index.php/Player_Diversity_%26_Demographics. Retrieved 1.12.2025.
