Specialists analyze IBGE data that reveals Brazil is aging

According to data released by the recent 2022 IBGE Demographic Census , the national population is showing constant aging. In ten years, the number of people aged 60 or over increased from 11.3% to 14.7% of the population — data that reveals an important change in the age structure of the Brazilian nation.

In raw numbers, these data represent an increase of about 9 million elderly people in the country. Rosa Chubaci, professor of Gerontology at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH) at USP, comments that, among the reasons for the aging of the Brazilian population, it is possible to highlight the advancement of medicine, since people can carry out medical prevention with greater care. In addition, the reduction in the fertility rate contributed to this scenario, that is, individuals do not have as many children as they used to and, therefore, there was a reduction in the number of young people in the country.

Quality of life
The professor reflects that it is possible to observe that some countries had greater preparation for the aging of the population, such as Japan , Canada, Denmark and the United States. Thus, in these places, some services were created to assist these individuals. In Japan, for example, it is common for public policies to encourage young people to help the elderly population in everyday activities.

In Brazil, some of these practices are becoming common along with Long Stay Institutions for the Elderly (ILPIs), residential entities that are intended for the homes of people aged 60 years or older. In addition, there are some community centers that aim to promote healthier and more active aging. “Here in Brazil, we still need some resources and services, but we have good examples, such as the CRI Norte and the Instituto Paulista de Geriatria e Gerontologia ”, explains the specialist.

Rosa adds that community centers for the elderly need to be expanded to all regions of the country to add quality of life to the years that people are living. “Brazil is on the right path, but we need a greater number of services for the elderly”, she adds.

Another important issue to be considered in the theme is the Brazilian habit of condemning institutions of permanence due to the extremely familiar culture. “When the elderly person has difficulty staying at home, the family can resort to services such as nursing homes, as long as the family visits and takes the elderly person home from time to time”, analyzes the expert. Thus, it is essential to invest in the aging process and prepare for that moment.

Finally, Rosa points out that the aging process begins from the moment we are born, so it is important to invest in healthy and active aging. “Aging is a process and we all want to see the progress we’ve made in our life. Planning your death is also very important, even if people don’t talk about it, “she analyzes.

economic aspects

In addition to social aspects, the theme reveals a change in the national economic design, an important indicator for thinking about the redirection of public policies in the country — mainly those related to Social Security and public health.

Firstly, it is observed that the Demographic Census revealed alarming information for the country’s economic organization: the end of the demographic bonus — a period in which the working-age population grows at a faster pace than that of the total population (which includes children and the elderly).

Hélio Zylberstajn, professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics, Administration, Accounting and Actuarial Science (FEA) at USP, says that the solution to this problem is the return of economic growth in the country. “To grow again, we need many things. We need, first of all, to increase investment, especially in infrastructure”, he explains.

Thus, the expert reinforces the need to attract private capital to increase investments in transport, roads, railways, ports, airports, basic sanitation, energy, housing, among others. “This investment increases the level of activity, because you need to buy the inputs to build all this infrastructure and, increasing the demand for materials, you also increase the occupation of people who will have job opportunities”, he analyzes.

With economic growth, therefore, it is possible to create the foundations for a more lasting economy and provide employment for the population that currently does not have many job opportunities. According to Zylberstajn, along with this, it is necessary to increase labor productivity in Brazil, which has been stagnant for decades, to make the national economy more efficient.

Social Security Question
For the professor, new pension reforms will be inevitable considering the formation of a new age pyramid in Brazil. This happens because the number of retirees will increase, with fewer and fewer contributors to pay for the retirement of these elderly people. “It’s a scary future and that’s why we need to grow back. If we had grown up while we still had the demographic bonus, things would have been easier”, he explains.

Zylberstajn also considers that the 2019 reform was positive, but it cannot be considered, in fact, a reform, as it maintained the model used previously, changing only some of its parameters — such as the minimum age, some contribution rates, the value of pensions, among others. The professor also considers that it will be necessary to end some social security privileges present in the country. “Brazil currently spends around 12% of its GDP on pensions, while that happens we are condemned to a dead end.”

In addition, it is important for Brazilian high schools to become more professional, since, according to the professor, the companies themselves must participate in the process of training students to ensure that the country’s workforce becomes more productive.

Finally, it is noted that Brazil needs to improve the quality of public spending, therefore, the presence of a tax reform is, according to the specialist, essential for the practical change of the errors present in the current economic system. “We need to start charging consumption taxes no longer at the source, but at the destination to end the tax war. It is necessary to improve public spending on education and health, because we spend inefficiently in these areas ”, he concludes.