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Poverty among the elderly in Sub-Saharan Africa and the role of social pensions

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  • Nanak Kakwani
  • Kalanidhi Subbarao

Abstract

Drawing on household survey information, this study delineates the poverty profile of the elderly in 15 low-income sub-Saharan African countries which include countries with a high and low prevalence of the HIV-AIDS pandemic. The study shows that the poverty situation of the elderly living with children and the elderly-headed households is much worse than the average in many countries. The impact of providing a social pension to the elderly on group-specific and national poverty head-count ratios and poverty gap ratios, and its fiscal implications, are analysed. Simulating various plausible eligibility criteria and benefit levels, the study concludes that while the case for an universal (untargeted) social pension is weak, substantial welfare gains can be obtained at a low cost with a social pension targeted to the poor among the elderly.

Suggested Citation

  • Nanak Kakwani & Kalanidhi Subbarao, 2007. "Poverty among the elderly in Sub-Saharan Africa and the role of social pensions," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(6), pages 987-1008.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:43:y:2007:i:6:p:987-1008
    DOI: 10.1080/00220380701466476
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Smith, James W. & Subbarao, Kalanidhi, 2003. "What role for safety net transfers in very low income countries?," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 25605, The World Bank.
    2. Sarmistha Pal & Robert Palacios, 2005. "Old Age Poverty In The Indian States: What The Household Data Can Say?," Labor and Demography 0505015, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kang, Ji Young & Park, Sojung & Ahn, Seoyeon, 2022. "The effect of social pension on consumption among older adults in Korea," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    2. Barrientos, Armando, 2012. "What is the Role of Social Pensions in Asia?," ADBI Working Papers 351, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    3. D. Weyer & C. M. Shackleton & Y. O. Adam, 2018. "HIV/AIDS and other household shocks as catalysts of local commercialization of non†timber forest products in Southern Africa," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S1), pages 285-301, March.
    4. Rebekah Burroway & David Brady, 2010. "Targeting, Universalism and Single Mother Poverty: A Multi-level Analysis Across 18 Affluent Democracies," LIS Working papers 554, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    5. David Brady & Amie Bostic, 2014. "Paradoxes of social policy: Welfare transfers, relative poverty and redistribution preferences," LIS Working papers 624, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    6. Yoko Niimi & Charles Yuji Horioka, 2023. "Elderly poverty and its measurement," Chapters, in: Jacques Silber (ed.), Research Handbook on Measuring Poverty and Deprivation, chapter 29, pages 307-315, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Mukesh Kumar Anand & Rahul Chakraborty, 2019. "Public Expenditure on Old-Age Income Support in India: Largesse for a Few, Illusory for Most," Working Papers id:13035, eSocialSciences.
    8. Pak, Tae-Young, 2020. "Social protection for happiness? The impact of social pension reform on subjective well-being of the Korean elderly," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 349-366.
    9. Brady, David & Bostic, Amie, 2015. "Paradoxes of Social Policy: Welfare Transfers, Relative Poverty, and Redistribution Preferences," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 80(2), pages 268-298.
    10. Smith, W. James, 2011. "Tanzania - Poverty, growth, and public transfers : options for a national productive safety net program," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 91575, The World Bank.
    11. Precious Mncayi & Steven Henry Dunga, 2019. "Analysis of poverty among the elderly in South Africa using the 2018 GHS data," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 9912239, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    12. Ivan Byaruhanga & Jonas Debesay, 2021. "The Impact of a Social Assistance Program on the Quality of Life of Older People in Uganda," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440219, January.
    13. Armando Barrientos, 2015. "Is There a Role for Social Pensions in Asia?," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(1), pages 8-20, January.
    14. Jeremy Seekings, 2017. "‘Affordability’ and the political economy of social protection in contemporary Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 043, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. David Brady & Rebekah Burroway, 2012. "Targeting, Universalism, and Single-Mother Poverty: A Multilevel Analysis Across 18 Affluent Democracies," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(2), pages 719-746, May.
    16. Jeremy Seekings, 2017. "'Affordability' and the political economy of social protection in contemporary Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-43, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Nor Fairani Ahmad & Mariani Mansor & Laily Paim, 2016. "Income Poverty and Well-Being among Vulnerable Households: A Study in Malaysia," Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(2), pages 195-195, February.
    18. Porter, Gina & Tewodros, Amleset & Bifandimu, Flavian & Gorman, Mark & Heslop, Amanda & Sibale, Elisha & Awadh, Abdul & Kiswaga, Lorraine, 2013. "Transport and mobility constraints in an aging population: health and livelihood implications in rural Tanzania," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 161-169.
    19. Angelina Wilson & Marie P. Wissing & Lusilda Schutte, 2019. "“We Help each Other”: Relational Patterns among Older Individuals in South African Samples," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(5), pages 1373-1392, November.

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