Demography of Care in the Global South

Jackeline Ferreira Romio, UNFPA

The decline in fertility has been a fundamental issue for demographers worldwide since the beginning of the 21st century. This is because the majority of countries have shown fertility rates above what is considered the "replacement level," generally defined as 2.1 children per woman. This situation has led to a relative aging of the population and other consequences connected. In this context, demographic transition theory, which essentially consists of the shift from high number of birth and fertility rates to low and moderate levels, through an intermediate period where a decline in mortality precedes a decline in birth rates, resulting in rapid population growth and them a slow decline in the future stages, remains a crucial theoretical framework for interpreting the social forces and trends. In this article, we aim to provide a Southern, gender-based perspective to understand one of the impacts of declining fertility rates: the demography of care. It seeks to analyze evidence on aging, migration, time use and unpaid work, gender violence, and, through dialogue with transition theory, develop a demography of care. Care is not just an attitude of attention but a labor that involves a set of material activities and social and demographic dynamics.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Gender Dynamics, Fertility, Human Capital, Education, and Work

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