Saving the Next Billion from Old Age Poverty: Global Lessons for Local Actions

Over 1.2 billion informal sector workers in developing countries are excluded from formal pension arrangements and face the grim prospect of living in poverty for over two decades after they are too old to work.

Without an urgent and effective response to pension exclusion, poverty among the future elderly in developing countries will emerge as the dominant cause of increased global poverty. On the other hand, nations that succeed in achieving comprehensive coverage of public and contributions-based pension and insurance programs, will benefit from a surge in stable, long-term savings that can fuel economic growth, employment and infrastructure development.

The book presents a number of new ideas on how countries can combine existing digital financial inclusion infrastructure, with well-designed pension systems to provide secure, simple and universal access to affordable pensions. It brings together a unique collection of country-level case-studies and thematic chapters by policy makers, market practitioners and academics working at the forefront of expanding digital pension inclusion. It will be an indispensable guide to anyone who wants to understand how to combine advances in ID, IT, digital payments and financial inclusion with best practice solutions in mainstream finance to design well-governed pension markets that work in the best interests of members.