مجلة العلوم القانونية والاجتماعية

Population Aging In Algeria In The Context Of Demographic Transition: Challenges And Future Prospects For Health Policies

Auteurs : Djeghdelli Ali .

Résumé

Abstract: Algeria is undergoing a rapid demographic and epidemiological transition, shifting from a historically youthful population toward an aging society due to declining fertility and falling mortality rates. Life expectancy at birth reached 77.6 years in 2016, with an expected additional 22.8 years for individuals reaching age 60. The elderly population (aged 60+) grew from 4.5% in 1966 to 9.1% in 2017 (3.8 million citizens) and is projected to reach 20% by 2050. This demographic shift is accompanied by high socioeconomic vulnerability: illiteracy among the elderly stands at 84.4% (reaching 95.3% among women), and 85.5% are outside the labor force, leaving 86% of elderly women without an independent retirement pension. Healthwise, the country faces a dual epidemiological burden where non-communicable chronic diseases account for 85.8% of total deaths. Chronic conditions affect 51% of the elderly, led by hypertension (24.58%) and diabetes mellitus (12.33%), while 18.2% of individuals aged 70+ suffer from multimorbidity. The healthcare system suffers from a critical shortage of geriatricians (Geriatrics) and inadequately adapted hospital infrastructure. Additionally, social security funds (CNAS/CASNOS) face a financing crisis as the dependency ratio rose to 14 elderly individuals per 100 active workers, forcing households to absorb 25% to 28% of direct healthcare expenditures out-of-pocket. The study recommends reforming medical education, strengthening primary healthcare, diversifying social security financing, and enforcing elder protection legislation.

Mots clés

Keywords: Social Protection; Population Aging; Demographic Transition; Epidemiological Transition (Chronic Diseases); Health Policy;