Las personas mayores en el Uruguay: el perfil sociodemográfico y los desafíos para las políticas públicas

The purpose of this article is to study population ageing and the sociodemographic profile of older persons in Uruguay in the period 1975-2011, using as data sources the censuses conducted in Uruguay in 1975, 1985, 1996 and 2011. First, population ageing during this period has been analysed and second, the evolution of the sociodemographic profile of older persons was constructed on the basis of variables such as rural setting, level of education, economic activity, social security coverage, residential arrangements and housing conditions. This has provided a description of the evolution of the quality of life of older persons over the past four decades in one of the countries of Latin America where population ageing is most advanced. Lastly, attention is drawn to certain constraints relating to the data sources and the challenges to be addressed by public policymakers from a rights-based approach.