Universal pensions in Mauritius: lessons for the rest of us

This paper examines the past and future of non-contributory, universal pensions in Mauritius, concluding with some lessons that might be useful for other countries, particularly in the developing world. It gives a historical take on the universal pension scheme in Mauritus, while examining a number of issues, namely:

• non-contributory, basic pensions (from 1950)
• universal pensions versus means-tested pensions
• contributory, income-related pensions
• attraction of contributory pensions within the Mauritian context
• cost of universal pensions in an ageing population