The broader aim of population policy is to bring about a socially inclusive and cohesive society that allows individuals of all ages to realise their potential and enhance their quality of life. BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have been steadily moving from a state of high mortality and high fertility to a state of low mortality and low fertility and prolonged life expectancy, which collectively lead to a slower population increase in general and a rapid increase in the size of the older population. It is therefore critical to examine what role population policy plays in shaping the demographic transition and addressing its challenges in BRICS countries.
Population ageing is emerging as a common issue for BRICS countries that have close to 40% of world’s older population aged 60 or more. The review of BRICS policy experiences can therefore lead to a common vision for the role of population policy not only for BRICS but also for other countries at similar stages of demographic transition. It will help coordinate positions of mutual interest and identify directions of future cooperation in population-related issues for BRICS countries.
This presentation will summarise the background work carried out in five country reports produced by population policy experts in BRICS countries. The reports were presented in the 2017 BRICS meeting on ageing, held in Beijing during 7-8 December 2017.
The presentation will start by highlighting the challenges and opportunities linked with population ageing in these five countries. It will identify common policy concerns and responses as well as learnings that can be drawn from the experiences in these countries. It will point to possible future collaboration between these countries in sharing information on the design, implementation and evaluation of policies to help these countries respond to challenges and opportunities of population ageing.