Economic impacts of population ageing in Latin America and the Caribbean: challenges and opportunities

This document analyses the economic implications of rapid population ageing in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting both the challenges it poses for economic growth, the labour market, and the sustainability of social policies, as well as the opportunities it presents to boost various economic sectors in the region. Based on demographic and economic data, the ongoing structural transformation is examined, with particular emphasis on the increase in the population aged 65 and over. The study reviews the conceptual approaches that enable an understanding of the various dimensions of age…

Persons with Disabilities: From Statistical Visibility to the Exercise of Rights

In the past four decades, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has fundamentally changed the way disability is understood. Traditional conceptions focused on individual deficiency have been replaced by a social and rights-based approach that holds the State and society responsible for eliminating the structural barriers —physical, social and cultural— that limit the participation of persons with disabilities in community life. A central aspect of this process is the availability of robust and comparable statistical information, which increases the visibility of persons wit…

Report on the activities of the Commission, 2024

ECLAC is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. Established in February 1948 and headquartered in Santiago, the Commission’s main mandate is to contribute to the sustainable development of Latin America and the Caribbean. In June  1951, the Commission established the ECLAC subregional headquarters in Mexico City, which serves the needs of the Central American countries, as well as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Mexico, and in December 1966, the ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean was founded in Port of Spain, to serve the Caribbean subregion. In addit…

Provisional agenda. Sixth meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Annotated provisional agenda. Sixth meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean

Time use and the academic performance gender gap among middle school and high school students: evidence from Brazil

This article analyses the influence of time use in various extracurricular activities, such as household chores, paid work, leisure activities and private study, on the gender gap in literacy and mathematics among middle school and high school students in Brazil in 2021, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition is used, enabling results to be broken down to evaluate how structural factors —in particular time use across these activities— affect student performance in Brazil. Our results indicate that unobserved effort in the activity influences performa…

Examining educational inequality across the economic life cycle in Brazil on the basis of 2018 national transfer accounts

This study examines educational inequality throughout the economic life cycle in Brazil on the basis of age-disaggregated data from 2018 national transfer accounts and household heads’ education levels. The analysis confirms patterns observed two decades ago, revealing marked disparities in the life cycle deficit —the gap between labour income and consumption— across education groups. Young people in less educated households rely heavily on public transfers to meet their consumption needs. Meanwhile, older persons across all education groups depend heavily on public transfers. With declining c…

People of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean: An exploration of social and territorial realities in the rural world

The content of this document provides an analytical framework on the socioeconomic, political, legal situation of hundreds of Afro-descendant populations in rural areas in Latin America and the Caribbean, focused on the analysis of three key areas: territories, natural resources, and productivity. Contemporary demographic studies generally describe Afro-descendants as an urban phenomenon, a product of the rural-urban migrations that took place from the second half of the 19th century onwards, when the abolition of slavery began. However, there is a lack of discourse on Afro-descendant life in…

Demographic Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean 2024. Population Prospects and Rapid Demographic Changes in the First Quarter of the Twenty-first Century in Latin America and the Caribbean

This 2024 edition of the Demographic Observatory presents the main demographic indicators for Latin America and the Caribbean according to the 2024 revision of population estimates and projections of the United Nations, comparing them with the 2000 revision to highlight the main demographic changes in the region since the turn of the twenty-first century. Analysis of the two revisions shows that birth and death rates declined more rapidly than anticipated in 2000, except during the pandemic, when the death rate climbed sharply, and that net migration was lower than expected. The change in the …

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 12

Inclusive Migration Governance in the Americas and Caribbean: A Primer for Parliamentarians

Throughout history, migration has been a fundamental part of human development, presenting with it many opportunities and challenges for both individuals and States. Over the last 50 years, the share of migrants among the world population has remained relatively stable, rising from 2.3 percent in 1970 to 3.6 percent in 2020. As the global population has increased, the number of migrants has also grown significantly – from 84 million in 1970 to 281 million in 2020 – along with unequal distribution across regions. Coupled with increasingly complex drivers of migration, such as climate change, th…

Sociodemographic inequality gaps in the Amazon region: support for the preparation and implementation of the Amazonian Strategic Cooperation

In the context of this study, the Amazon region is not just a diverse combination of biomes that is of great structural importance given its contribution to the environment and climate; it is also home to more than 50 million people. To enable better understand the living conditions and various needs and vulnerabilities of Amazonian peoples, this document analyses sociodemographic inequality gaps among the population living in the territories of the Amazon region. An analysis of sociodemographic indicators taken from population censuses and household surveys of member countries of the Amazon …

Report on the activities of the Commission, 2023

In 2023, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary. Since its establishment in 1948, ECLAC has been a leader in generating applied knowledge and research from the perspective of the region. The Commission’s commitment has remained strong throughout these past decades, contributing to the design and implementation of public policies taking into consideration the needs and demands of member States. This report on the activities undertaken by ECLAC in 2023 highlights the Commission’s key achievements and contributions and is hereb…

Medium-term changes in the patterns of internal population movements in Latin American countries: effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID‐19 pandemic has impacted population movement around the world. Existing work has focused on countries of the Global North and restricted to the immediate effects of COVID-19 during 2020. Data have represented a major limitation to monitor changes in mobility patterns in Latin American countries. Drawing on aggregate anonymised mobile phone location data from Meta‐Facebook users, we aim to analyse the extent and persistence of changes in the levels (or intensity) and spatial patterns of internal population movement across the rural-urban continuum in Argentina, Chile and Mexico over a…

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 10

Intergenerational relations: creating a world for all ages so that no one is left behind

This paper, prepared jointly by the five regional commissions of the United Nations, explores the social and economic challenges and opportunities of demographic shifts towards multigenerational societies across the countries covered by the five regional commissions. It discusses the latest evidence on demographic trends and intergenerational relations, labour markets, social protection, care, living arrangements and digitalization across regions, and it provides recommendations to build societies for all ages. With a strong interdisciplinary and interregional focus, the paper addresses interg…

Population, Development and Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean: second regional report on the implementation of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development

Eleven years on from the adoption of the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development and 30 years on from the adoption of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, in Cairo in 1994, this second regional report on the implementation of the Montevideo Consensus outlines progress in the implementation of its priority measures in Latin America and the Caribbean over the period 2018–2023, taking into consideration the specific characteristics of each country and the varying degrees of implementation. By collating, systemizing and analysing a wide …

Report on the activities conducted by the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE)-Population Division of ECLAC during the period 2022–2024

Over the past two years, the activities of the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE)-Population Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) have been governed by subprogramme 6 of the programme of work of the ECLAC system (Population and development) and by resolutions 743(XXXVIII) “Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean” and 760(XXXIX) “Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean”, adopted at the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth sessions of ECLAC, respect…

Demographic Observatory Latin America and the Caribbean 2023. Population dynamics in Latin America and their effects on the labour force

In this edition of the Demographic Observatory, the impact of population dynamics is illustrated through an analysis of selected indicators of labour force estimates and projections by sex, age and area of residence for the 1980–2050 period in the 20 countries of Latin America, using the 2023 Revision prepared by the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE)-Population Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The analysis highlights that structural changes in the labour force over the 1980–2022 period and projections through to 2050 show m…

CEPAL Review No. 141. Special 75th anniversary issue: towards a more productive, inclusive and sustainable development model