Assessing socioeconomic inequality in ageing in sub-Saharan Africa : an empirical assessment of South Africa

Abstract

The population younger than 5 years is now exceeded by those older than 65 globally, with women making up a larger share. Because ageing was traditionally about people older than 60 or 65, Africa, with a predominantly younger population under 50 years, was previously not a focus of ageing research. However, shifting the focus away from people older than 65, a concept without concrete meaning in many African settings, this paper considers ageing a continuous process. It assesses socioeconomic inequalities in ageing and gaps in gender-related socioeconomic disparities in ageing in Africa using South Africa as a case study. Data come from four rounds of nationally representative general household surveys spanning 2003–2018. Using the concentration index to assess socioeconomic inequalities in ageing, a significantly large proportion of younger populations comes from poorer households, while the reverse is the case for older adults. There is a gendered pattern in socioeconomic inequality in ageing. While there are no significant differences in socioeconomic inequalities in ageing between boys and girls aged 0–9 years, socioeconomic disparities become apparent and significantly “favour” males in much older groups, say 60 years and above. The paper highlights the importance of multisectoral action and a gendered approach in addressing the significant socioeconomic inequalities in ageing. While further research is needed to understand key drivers of inequalities, mainstreaming ageing into multisectoral policies, especially prioritising younger women, is necessary to build up resources to reduce socioeconomic disparities in ageing at older ages in South Africa.