Social Pensions Archives - Pension Policy International

25SepSeptember 25, 2026

Two Measures, Opposite Trends: Remittance Receipt in Mexican Household Surveys, 2008-2026

Por Walter Guevara Household surveys that ask about private transfers rarely separate support sent from abroad from the broader category of economic support a household may receive. Mexico's National Survey of Occupation and Employment (ENOE) contains both items. This note documents that the two move in opposite directions over 2008-2026, and that the difference is large enough to change substantive conclusions. Among adults aged 50 to 70, receipt measured by the broad item rose from 19.0 percent in 2008 to...

September 25, 2026

Articles, System Characterization2026, Income, Mexico, Social Pensions

24SepSeptember 24, 2026

Debate addresses perspectives on the Brazilian Pension Reform

The EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance (FGV EPGE) is holding the seminar "Perspectives on the Brazilian Pension Reform" on Wednesday, September 30, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.. The meeting is part of the Contemporary Themes series and will be held at the FGV Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro, moderated by Professor Rubens Penha Cysne, dean of FGV EPGE. The debate will bring together Paulo Tafner, economist and CEO of the Institute for Mobility and Social Development...

September 24, 2026

NewsBrazil, Coverage, Social Pensions, System sustainability

15JunJune 15, 2026

Should Ghana introduce a universal pension for elderly citizens?

As Ghana continues to debate the future of its pension system, an important question is emerging in public policy discussions: Should every elderly Ghanaian receive a basic state pension, regardless of whether they contributed to a formal pension scheme? The question is both timely and necessary. Across Ghana, thousands of elderly citizens who spent their productive years farming, trading, fishing, artisan work, caregiving, and other forms of informal employment now find themselves facing old age without any reliable source of...

June 15, 2026

NewsGhana, Social Pensions

29MayMay 29, 2026

Should Malaysia expand its social pension? Global evidence, design issues and options

By World Bank Group This study examines whether Malaysia should expand its social pension coverage and adequacy by drawing on global experiences and comparing them to the Malaysian context. It explores the impacts of social pensions on various social indicators and addresses key design issues for expansion. The paper concludes with recommendations for reforms, emphasizing the need to balance welfare and equity impacts with fiscal considerations. Get the report here

May 29, 2026

Books, Books, Reports, System Sustainability2025, Aging, Malaysia, Social Pensions, System sustainability

20MarMarch 20, 2026

Non-contributory Pension Programs and Intra-household Inequality

By José L. Casco Non-contributory pension schemes are increasingly prevalent as countries seek to combat poverty, yet their role in shaping inequality remains underexplored. This paper studies how such programs alter intra-household inequality using data from Mexican household income and expenditure surveys. The analysis first examines a local pension program in Mexico City, embedding an age-based quasi-experimental design to identify beneficiaries within a structural model of extended households. Results show that the program shifted resources from men to women and...

March 20, 2026

Articles, Pension Management2026, Equality, Gender Gap, Mexico, Social Pensions

16JanJanuary 16, 2026

Cash Transfers and Socioeconomic Behavior among Older Adults:,Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design

By Anh Tuyet Nguyen & Hiroyuki Yamada The rapid aging of populations has prompted the introduction of social pension programs aimed at preserving the welfare of the elderly. However, adverse socioeconomic behaviors may dampen the intended policy effects. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, this study examines the impact of social pension receipt on expenditure patterns and material hardship among older adults aged 80 year or older in Vietnam. We find that social pension increases the risk of material hardship...

January 16, 2026

Articles, System Sustainability2026, Aging, Public spending, Social Pensions

28NovNovember 28, 2025

Financial sustainability for the expansion of non-contributory pension systems and the eradication of old-age poverty

By Alberto Arenas de Mesa, Ernesto Espíndola & Juan Ignacio Vila Income protection is a substantive factor and a priority of social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, in particular at either end of the life cycle (i.e. childhood and old age). This is due to the greater vulnerability and lower earning capacity of these population segments compared with other age groups, among other factors (Santos Garcia, Farías and Robles, 2023). In these circumstances, pension systems, in particular...

November 28, 2025

Articles, System Sustainability2024, Funding, Latin America, Pension Reform, Social Pensions, Social Protection

15OctOctober 15, 2025

Germany greenlights €2,000 tax-free earnings for pensioners

Germany will introduce an “active pension” from 1 January 2026 that lets people who choose to work past the statutory retirement age earn up to €2,000 per month tax-free. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas framed the Aktivrente as a straightforward incentive intended to keep experienced workers in the labour market. Asked about the centre-right Union’s proposal for a tax-free top-up, Bas said “anyone who voluntarily wants to work longer needs attractive conditions”. She added that the government would lift the ban on prior employment, which...

October 15, 2025

NewsGermany, Income, Social Pensions

05SepSeptember 5, 2025

Mortality and the Provision of Retirement Income

By Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development This report analyses the development of mortality assumptions to build mortality tables to better protect retirement income provision. Mortality assumptions are necessary to ensure the sustainability of lifetime incomes. It explores considerations and traditional approaches for developing mortality tables, as well as provides an international overview of longevity trends and drivers over the last several decades, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also details the standard mortality tables developed across...

September 5, 2025

Aging, Books, Books, Reports2023, Healthcare, Income, Social Pensions, Social Protection

22AugAugust 22, 2025

Pensions in Aging Asia and the Pacific: Policy Insights and Priorities

By Rafal Chomik, Philip O’Keefe & John Piggott This paper looks at how pension systems across Asia and the Pacific can overcome common challenges of low contributory coverage, inadequate social pensions, and failure to include the informal sector. Pension systems in the region also exhibit gender inequities, a lack of policy flexibility and attention to labor incentives, and underdeveloped governance. The paper reviews the structure and performance of regional pension systems, and makes proposals for an expanded role for social pensions...

August 22, 2025

Books, Books, Pension design, Reports2025, Asia, Public Policy, Social Pensions, Social Protection

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