According to a report, Argentina is "no longer young": statistics on the aging population

Argentina is experiencing a marked aging of its population , with a sharp decline in the birth rate and profound changes in family structure. This is revealed in a report prepared by the Universidad Austral and the Network of Latin American University Family Institutes (REDIFAM) , released in conjunction with World Population Day , celebrated on Friday, July 11.

The report warns that Argentina's total fertility rate is just 1.4 children per woman , well below the generational replacement rate of 2.1. The crude birth rate is 9.9 births per 1,000 inhabitants , the lowest in the entire region.

These indicators add up to a life expectancy of 78 years and a median age of 32.9 years , consolidating the trend toward a predominantly adult population . The report highlights that Argentina reached a 1:1 ratio between births and deaths , and that the steepest decline in the birth rate began in 2015 , intensifying after the pandemic.

SINGLE IMAGE (2).jpg

Another sign of demographic change is the transformation in household types: Argentina leads the region with 24.6% single-person households (homes inhabited by a single person), ahead of Bolivia and Brazil. At the same time, nuclear households have dropped to 57% of the total, while extended households (with more than one generation living under the same roof) remain at around 17%.

According to the study, these changes have a direct impact on the care system and the support provided to older adults, as the number of close relatives available to provide support is reduced.

“ Argentina is no longer a young country , and that demands firm and comprehensive political decisions. We must rethink our healthcare, labor, social security, and family care systems to support an increasingly aging population,” said Dr. Lorena Bolzon, president of REDIFAM and dean of the Institute of Family Sciences at Universidad Austral.