The ageing of the third world: tackling the problems of community surveys. Part I: Brazil-a young country grows old

Population ageing is now a phenomenon not only of developed countries but increasingly also of developing Third World countries. In this article (Part I) Brazilian statistics are presented to illustrate the process of demographic transition in a developing country. The characteristics of the elderly population in terms of age, sex, marital status, urban/rural distribution and literacy are analysed in the light of recent changes.