Population aging in sub-Saharan Africa: Present and prospects

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the study is 3-fold; (i) to analyse the current level of population aging in sub-Saharan Africa, (ii) to examine the prospects of aging in 2050 and (iii) to look into the scope of gerontechnological developments in sub-Saharan countries in the near future. Method: A total of 44 countries in the sub- Saharan region are considered here for the study. Secondary data pertaining to these countries will constitute the data sets for the analysis. The main sources are UN publications 1-4. Results & Discussion: At present, the proportion of population 60+ varies from 3 to 8 percent. The forecast for 2050 is from 5 to 15 percent. Thus the aging process is rather slow in sub-Saharan Africa. Prevailing high fertility and high mortality are the main causes for this. However, the economic growth scenario has been changing since last 10-15 years. Also, there are encouraging signs for the control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These developments signal for accelerated demographic transitions. The analysis will be supplemented by the patterns of living arrangements of the elderly and the scope for the utilisation of gerontechnological innovations in the region. Here the sex ratio among elderly, proportion currently married/living together, proportion living independently, old age support ratio and the proportion in labour force will be considered.