2023-09-11 09:09:33
In the last ten years, the percentage of people living with elderly people over 65 has been increasing, between 2012 and 2022 there was an increase
After separating, publicist Thalyta Gomes, 33, decided to return to the house she grew up in and live with her grandmother, who is 84 years old and has the onset of Alzheimer’s. “She can’t be alone anymore,” she says. In the house, which is located in Jardim São Luís, south of São Paulo, Talhyta’s 12-year-old daughter and an uncle also live. The family even quoted a caregiver’s service, but decided against it because of the high cost.
Thalyta hopes to live with her grandmother until her apartment – which should be released by CDHU – is ready next year. “I was able to return to the house I always lived in,” she says. “It’s not worth paying rent. I managed to save some money and have already bought a stove, refrigerator and smaller appliances.”
Today, the household expenses are divided between Thalyta, her uncle and grandmother, who have a pension, and the money from two rented houses on the same land where they live. “We buy what we need and split the bills”, says the publicist.
Thalyta’s case is not isolated in Brazil. In the last ten years, the percentage of people living with elderly people over 65 has been growing. A survey carried out by FGV Social, with data from the Pnad Contínua Annual, shows that, between 2012 and 2022, this participation increased in all States of the Federation. “Today we see families of several generations living in the same residence”, says the director of FGV Social, Marcelo Neri.
According to him, although class C represents the highest percentage of people living with the elderly (25.04%), it was class AB that had the greatest increase in participation. It rose from 20.32% in 2012 to 24.97% last year. The movement is explained by a series of factors, such as high youth unemployment in recent years, the aging of the population and also the increase in the cost of living.
“When a country grows, children tend to be ‘richer’ than their parents. But Brazil hasn’t grown (consistently) for some time,” says Neri. From 2012 to 2022, the Brazilian economy experienced periods of low growth and even a decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as occurred in 2015 and 2016 (in addition to 2020 due to the pandemic).
At the same time, the cost of buying your own home, for example, became higher during the period. According to data from FipeZap+, the average price per square meter in Brazil has risen 33% since 2012. In São Paulo, this increase was more significant, 66%; and in Rio de Janeiro, 33%. In this scenario, it is more comfortable to continue with parents or elderly people who have a guaranteed retirement income – today 15.1% of elderly people over 65 belong to class AB and 12.5% to class C.
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In other words, the growth in the share of the population living in the same household with people over 65 may be related to the fact that older people have more income and are responsible for supporting the household, says Insper professor Laura Muller Machado.
She also points to another possible explanation for the phenomenon: the cultural transformations in Brazil. Today Brazilians are getting married later and studying for more years and, therefore, staying in their parents’ home for longer. “It’s a new movement. It’s something to be understood and discovered”, says Laura.
Intergenerational inequality
What is known is that Brazil is a country that allocates a greater volume of resources to the older population than to the younger population. The country spends more than Japan, the longest-lived country in the world. According to data from FGV Social, while the Asian nation spends 10% of GDP on pensions, in Brazil, this number is already 13%.
The problem is that, around here, aging is at the beginning of the curve. Only 10.5% of the population is aged 65 or over (it was 7.7% in 2012). Therefore, the tendency is for spending to increase even more in the coming years given the expected aging of the Brazilian population.
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“We know that there is intergenerational inequality in the transfer of public resources in Brazil”, says Laura. “I hope it’s a conscious decision and it’s making sense in some way.”
On the other hand, the cost of living for the elderly is also high, whether with medication and health plans or hiring professionals. According to data from the employment platform Glassdoor, the average salary of an elderly caregiver in Brazil is R$2,995 per month. “In ten years, the importance of this professional will be even greater (and the cost too)”, says Neri.
Split accounts
Physiotherapist Leonardo Cardoso, 38, chose to bring his parents to live with him, his wife and two children. Together, they share the rental costs of the 150 square meter apartment and basic everyday items. “I take the biggest part, but we help each other”, says Leonardo.
The decision to bring his parents – he is 79 and she is 69 – to live in the same apartment was made little by little. Leonardo’s parents have always lived alone, but in 2018 a financial problem meant they had to leave their rented apartment to live, for the first time, with their son. “I was already married, and they came to live with me”, says the physiotherapist.
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During this period, Leonardo became the father of his first daughter – now four years old – and his parents, now with an organized household budget, found a new apartment – smaller than the one they lived in before. “My wife has always gotten along very well with my mother, who helped with our first daughter.”
In 2021, the second child arrived – now one year old. Talking to his wife, Leonardo decided to sell the apartment he had to move to a bigger one and live again with his parents, who are essential in helping with the day-to-day lives of the two children.
“My parents are already well established (financially), they have improved, but we decided to live together. It’s a good relationship and prevents them from becoming isolated”, says Leonardo.
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Two ends
In the coming years, Brazil will experience the intensification of two phenomena. On the one hand, there will be a faster aging of the population and, on the other, a reduction in the number of young people in the country. This is due to the drop in the fertility rate in recent years.
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In the 70s, there were around 5.8 children per woman. Today, that number is 1.62 children. If there is no stabilization, the country will follow a downward trend in the rate of population growth.
According to data from the 2022 Census, more conservative estimates indicate that this decrease could occur in 2040, but it is possible that it will occur as early as 2035, if there is no change in the outlook.
“This changes the situation for young people, who have suffered a lot in recent years, with high unemployment,” says Neri. According to him, the number of young people is expected to fall from 50 million to 25 million in the coming decades.
“The scenario creates a situation in which young people will be challenged in the job market, but will also have to live with the weight of the Social Security imbalance.”
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