Latin America's population is aging, and many among the growing elderly population are not protected by traditional pension schemes. In response, policy makers have been reevaluating their income protection systems so that between 2000 and 2013, the majority of Latin American countries reformed their social pension schemes to provide near-universal coverage for the elderly. Before this unprecedented wave of reform, most income protection in Latin America was provided through contributory pensions available only to formal sector workers. Considering that informal and unpaid employment...

Argentina is passing through a demographic transition that constitutes a window of economic and social opportunities and challenges. Argentina's working-age population represents the largest proportion of its total population. The country just began a 30-year period with the most advantageous age structure of its population, which could favor greater economic growth. This situation, known as the demographic window of opportunity, will last until the 2040s. The dynamics of the fertility and mortality rates signify a gradual aging of the population, with implications for various dimensions of...

Uruguay's population is slowly aging, driven by the demographic transition that started early in the 20th century. While this reflects significant improvements in mortality and fertility trends, it also creates important challenges for the fiscal sustainability of some social policies and for sustaining medium- and long-term economic growth. Uruguay is going through the "demographic dividend" stage of this process as the proportion of the population ages 15-65 peaks. This temporary situation creates the possibility of increasing the endowment of capital and the labor force and sparking...