Economy March 12, 2023 | 9:05 am

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Dominican Republic and Haiti among countries with low long-term aging rates

Santo Domingo, DR.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic are among the countries with low levels of population aging since, even in 2030, the elderly will not represent 10% and 15% of their population, respectively.

Last year, the proportion of older people in some countries and territories, mainly in the Caribbean, was above 20% and will exceed 30% in the next decade, for example, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In addition to experiencing low fertility, these countries have undergone intense emigration processes throughout the demographic transition.

The Economic Commission provides information for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in its report “Panorama of Aging and Demographic Trends in Latin America,” in which it states that in South America, Uruguay is the country with the most advanced aging, as the elderly will exceed 20% of the population in 2022.

It adds that in 2030, this country will be joined by Chile, and both will be the most aged countries in the sub-region that year. They indicate that in the coming decades, other South American countries will also follow the observed trend of a sharp increase in the number and percentage of older people, including Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.

Although Argentina experienced an early demographic transition process in the region, it is not showing such an accelerated process in the current decade.

In Central America, the country most advanced in the aging population process is Costa Rica, where older people will increase from 16% to 20% this decade. On the other hand, the countries lagging in this process are Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

According to the report, the percentage of older people in each territory at a given time depends on the trends of demographic variables, for example, the levels of mortality and fertility at the beginning of the transition, the speed with which they decrease, and their current levels. It also depends on the strength of migration and the percentage of women of reproductive age in the population.

Looking to the future, the proportion of people aged 60 and over in Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to surpass that of Asia and Oceania by 2060 and to be closer to the corresponding values for North America and Europe.

In 2100, the proportion of older people in the region will reach 38.2%, close to the ratio estimated for Europe in the same year.

In addition to the increase in the proportion of older people over the last 70 years, there has also been an increase in absolute terms at the regional level. Currently, the number of people aged 60 and over is 88.6 million.

In the coming decades, the size of the elderly population in the region will be very similar to that of Europe. In 2060, the population aged 60 and over is expected to be 220 million in Latin America and the Caribbean and close to 248 million in Europe.

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Anonymous
December 21, 2023 12:30 am

Women need to stop having kids and focus on getting an education. There’s no need in wasting your life away with relationships and children especially now when everything is more expensive. Go to college and earn PhDs. Life is more comfortable as a single and especially RICH independent individual.