Abstract
Like many other developing countries in Asia, Indonesia is experiencing rapid population aging (Kinsella and He, 2009). The average number of children born per women has declined from around 4 in the early 1980s to around 2.5 in 2000, while life expectancy has increased from around 56 to 68 during the same period. In 2005, the percentage of those aged 60 and older was around 7.5% of the total population. While this is a lower percentage than, for instance, Singapore or even Thailand, it still amounts to 16 million people, given Indonesia’s population size (Ananta and Arifin, 2009). One of the consequences of these demographic changes over the past few decades is that families are smaller and the number of children from whom parents can draw support at a later age also becomes smaller. This is particularly important in Indonesia and in other developing countries in the region, where social programs and pension schemes to support the elderly are lacking.2 In Indonesia, as in other developing countries in the region, support for the elderly has primarily come from networks of families or relatives, with remittances from children living elsewhere and shared residence being the two most important mechanisms.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Aging in Asia |
Subtitle of host publication | Findings From New and Emerging Data Initiatives |
Editors | James P. Smith, Malay Majmundar |
Place of Publication | Washington, DC |
Publisher | National Academies Press |
Chapter | 10 |
Pages | 229-260 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-0-309-25409-0 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-0-309-25406-9, 0-309-25406-X |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |