Ageing and Economic Welfare in the Developing World

Abstract

Across the developing world two tendencies are becoming increasingly marked. The first is the recognition that states are unable or unwilling to provide for the income needs of all groups who are outside the workforce, be they children, the unemployed, the disabled or the elderly. It is important, then, to assess the degree to which states currently provide for the income needs of these groups and the alternative sources of economic support available to them. This provides an empirical basis for current debates about the role of the public sector in welfare provision.