THE FRAGILITY OF THE FUTURE AND THE TUG OF THE PAST: LONGEVITY IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

摘要

BACKGROUNDCohorts that will attain age 60 after 2010 in the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) are beneficiaries of a massive mortality decline that began as early as 1930. The bulk of this decline is due to diffusion of low-cost medical technology that improved recovery rates from infectious diseases. This changes the composition of elderly cohorts in a distinct way: more among those who could experience the deleterious impact of adverse early conditions as adults survive to attain old ages.