Demographic Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean 2024. Population Prospects and Rapid Demographic Changes in the First Quarter of the Twenty-first Century in Latin America and the Caribbean

This 2024 edition of the Demographic Observatory presents the main demographic indicators for Latin America and the Caribbean according to the 2024 revision of population estimates and projections of the United Nations, comparing them with the 2000 revision to highlight the main demographic changes in the region since the turn of the twenty-first century. Analysis of the two revisions shows that birth and death rates declined more rapidly than anticipated in 2000, except during the pandemic, when the death rate climbed sharply, and that net migration was lower than expected. The change in the age structure of the population owing to the rapid demographic transition, as well as the persistent decline in fertility to below the replacement level, compound challenges in the region, where socioeconomic inequality is high and there are significant gaps in access to government goods and services. Ageing affects all areas of public policy, leading in particular to rising demand for long-term care services. There is no question that the demographic landscape is and will remain highly consequential in building more productive, inclusive and sustainable societies in Latin America and the Caribbean.