Title_ Assessing Wellbeing and Deprivation in Later Life in Brazil and South Africa

Author_ Armando BARRIENTOS & Cassilda LASSO DE LA VEGA

Pages 1-36

Abstract_ The paper develops and applies a multidimensional counting approach to rank order well being and deprivation distributions among a panel of older people in Brazil and South Africa. Using data collected in 2002 and 2008 among low-income households in urban and rural locations in Brazil and South Africa,the analysis in the paper throws light upon (i) changes in multidimensional deprivation associated with individual ageing and (ii) the effects of differential access to pension provision onwellbeing and deprivation. The paper finds that individual ageing is not necessarily associated with a decline in multidimensional well being. The findings also lend support to the view that socialpolicy, and especially inclusive pension provision, has an important role in addressing the effects of rapid population ageing in developing countries.

Keywords_ Multidimensional deprivation, Pensions, South Africa, Brazil