The vulnerability of older adults: what do census data say? An application to Uganda

Valerie Golaz, Centre Francais sur la Population et le Developpement (CEPED)
Gideon Rutaremwa, Makerere University

How can vulnerability be defined for older adults, and can demographic data actually inform us on the vulnerability of older adults? Through an interdisciplinary review of literature, we would like to question the concept of vulnerability, specifically applied to older adults. Then we shall tackle the issue of how much of these different types of vulnerabilities census data can inform us about, shedding light on three aspects related to household structure and economic activity within the household (Golaz, 2011). Lastly, using data from the Ugandan population censuses of 1991 and 2002, we shall try to measure the situations of vulnerability affecting older adults and the possible changes that have taken place in this regard over the past two decades in this country.