IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/jdevst/v43y2007i6p987-1008.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • 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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220380701466476
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00220380701466476?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    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. Madeline E. Duhon & Edward Miguel & Amos Njuguna & Daniela Pinto Veizaga & Michael W. Walker, 2023. "Preparing for an Aging Africa: Data-Driven Priorities for Economic Research and Policy," NBER Working Papers 31750, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. 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.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Akanksha Srivastava & Sanjay Mohanty, 2012. "Poverty Among Elderly in India," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 493-514, December.
    2. Mohajan, Haradhan, 2013. "Food, Agriculture and Economic Situation of Bangladesh," MPRA Paper 54240, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 18 Aug 2013.
    3. Md Ashiq Iqbal & Towfiqul Islam Khan & Tazeen Tahsina, 2008. "Macroeconomic Implications of Social Safety Nets in the Context of Bangladesh," CPD Working Paper 75, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    4. Ninno, Carlo del & Tamiru, Kaleb, 2012. "Cameroon social safety nets : Africa social safety net and Social protection assessment series," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 88995, The World Bank.
    5. World Bank, 2012. "Liberia - A Diagnostic of Social Protection," World Bank Publications - Reports 12344, The World Bank Group.
    6. Coady, David P., 2004. "Designing and evaluating social safety nets," FCND discussion papers 172, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Sarmistha Pal & Robert Palacios, 2011. "Understanding Poverty among the Elderly in India: Implications for Social Pension Policy," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(7), pages 1017-1037.
    8. Zhila Abshari & Glenn P. Jenkins & Chun-Yan Kuo & Mostafa Shahee, 2021. "Progressive Taxation versus Progressive Targeted Transfers in the Design of a Sustainable Value Added Tax System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-17, October.
    9. Margaret Grosh & Carlo del Ninno & Emil Tesliuc & Azedine Ouerghi, 2008. "For Protection and Promotion : The Design and Implementation of Effective Safety Nets," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6582.
    10. Md Ashiq Iqbal, 2008. "Macroeconomic Implications of Social Safety Nets in the Context of Bangladesh," Macroeconomics Working Papers 22289, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    11. Lynn R. Brown & Ugo Gentilini, 2006. "On the Edge: The Role of Food-based Safety Nets in Helping Vulnerable Households Manage Food Insecurity," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2006-111, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Armando Barrientos & Casilda Lasso de la Vega, 2011. "Assessing wellbeing and deprivation in later life: A multidimensional counting approach," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 15111, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    13. Mohajan, Haradhan, 2013. "Food and nutrition of Bangladesh," MPRA Paper 53527, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 11 Nov 2013.
    14. Alderman, Harold & Haque, Trina, 2006. "Countercyclical safety nets for the poor and vulnerable," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 372-383, August.
    15. Aishna Sharma & Bimal Sahoo & Partha Saha & Chandan Kumar & Ankita Gandhi, 2015. "India Human Development Report 2011: Towards Social Inclusion," Working Papers id:6740, eSocialSciences.
    16. World Bank, 2012. "Cameroon : Social Safety Nets," World Bank Publications - Reports 11912, The World Bank Group.
    17. David Coady, 2015. "Designing and Evaluating Social Safety Nets: Theory, Evidence, and Policy Conclusions," Working Papers id:7496, eSocialSciences.
    18. Sarmistha Pal, 2006. "Elderly Health, Wealth and Coresidence with Adult Children in Rural India," Economics and Finance Discussion Papers 06-17, Economics and Finance Section, School of Social Sciences, Brunel University.
    19. del Ninno, Carlo & Dorosh, Paul A. & Subbarao, Kalanidhi, 2007. "Food aid, domestic policy and food security: Contrasting experiences from South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 413-435, August.
    20. Cherrier, Cecile & Ninno, Carlo del & Razmara, Setareh, 2011. "Burkina Faso social safety nets," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 88994, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:43:y:2007:i:6:p:987-1008. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/FJDS20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.