Population aging in Albanian post-socialist society: Implications for care and family life

• Main Author: Meçe Merita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2015-12-01
• Series: SEEU Review
• Subjects: old age; population aging; care for old family members; old age dependency ratio
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/seeur-2015-0033

Population aging is becoming an inevitable phenomenon in Albanian post-socialist society, posing multi-faceted challenges to its individuals, families and society as a whole. Since 1991, the Albanian population has been exposed to intensive demographic changes caused by unintended aspects of socio-economic transition from a planned socialist economy to a market-oriented capitalist one (Hoff, 2008). Ongoing processes of re-organization of social institutions increased its socio-economic insecurity leading to the application of various coping mechanisms. While adjusting themselves to other aspects of life, people changed their decisions of having children and leaving the country (Hoff, 2008). On the other hand, replacement of former traditional extended family forms with diverse living arrangements and family structures has been the outcome of the combination of three factors: falling fertility, increasing life expectancy and increasing migration (INSTAT, 2014).