Wednesday, October 28, 2015
New Demographics of Aging -- In Cuba
A window into the demographics of what happens when the average age of populations rises sharply is provided by the New York Times, with a focus on Cuba. From In Cuba, An Abundance of Love but a Lack Of Babies, by Azan Ahmed:
By almost any metric, Cuba's demographics are in dire straits. Since the 1970s, the birthrate has been in free fall, tilting population figures into decline, a problem much more common in rich, industrialized nations, not poor ones.
Cuba already has the oldest population in all of Latin America. Experts predict that 50 years from now, Cuba's population will have fallen by a third. More than 40 percent of the country will be older than 60.
The demographic crisis is both an economic and a political one. The aging population will require a vast health care system, the likes of which the state cannot afford. And without a viable work force, the cycle of flight and wariness about Cuba's future is even harder to break, despite the country's halting steps to open itself up to the outside world....
The article goes into more depth, including identifying factors such as inadequate housing for new families, educational trends that encourage couples to delay having children, and, perhaps most significant, scant job opportunities to support families. The article also suggests that abortion "is not so uncommon" in families.
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/elder_law/2015/10/new-demographics-of-aging-in-cuba.html