Gender and aging: demographic dimensions

Women are the majority of the older population in virtually all nations and face different circumstances and challenges than men as they age. Older women are more likely to be widowed, to live alone, and to live in poverty. Older women tend to have lower educa-tional attainment, less formal labor force experience, and more family caregiving responsibilities than do older men. This brief examines the demographics that underlie the socioeconomic differences in Developing Countries. [author]