Social Pension and Development: The Future Prospects of Universal Social Pension on Intergenerational Relations and Rural Development

Abstract

Tanzania is experiencing demographic shifts with a rising population of older people, majority of whom live in rural areas, facing many social and economic challenges. In recent decades, international social policy has applauded social pensions as a powerful policy tool in fighting against impoverishment among older generations. This article uses examples of family solidarity in rural areas of Tanzania to speculate how the universal social pension will benefit family relations and foster rural development. The study is based on the analysis of 2012 data from a descriptive cross-sectional study, involving older people aged 60+ (n=968) in two rural districts in the Mwanza region of Tanzania, to determine the potential effects of universal social pension on both family solidarity and the development of rural areas. The analysis also incorporates results from SAUT Survey 2019 data (n=393) conducted in three regions of Tanzania: Arusha, Mtwara, and Mwanza. The results indicate that the family structure in which older people live has strong intergenerational family solidarity. Universal social pension income, which is associated with social and economic development, is significant in reducing poverty and inequalities, promoting health, nutrition, agriculture, and local markets that improve rural development.