The expansion of economic protection for older adults in Latin America

Abstract

Over the past two decades, many Latin American countries have expanded the economic protection of older adults by developing non-contributory pensions or making eligibility rules more flexible. These policies have addressed long-standing coverage gaps in Latin American pension systems and contributed to incorporating a large number of older adults in the social protection system. The paper examines the main design features of non-contributory pensions and how they interact with pre-existing contributory systems. It identifies the different types of coverage expansion strategies across Latin America and discusses three different country experiences (Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia) in greater detail.