Summary (English)

At present, nations around the world (both large and small, rich and poor) are engaged in debate over how to reform their social security systems and care for the aged. For many countries this debate requires speculation on hypothetical scenarios, but in Latin America a rich body of experience on social security reform has been accumulating for more than a decade (for Chile, more than two decades). Keeping the Promise of Social Security in Latin America takes stock of those reforms, evaluates their successes and failures, and considers the lessons that can be drawn for the future of pension policy in the region. The authors draw on a series of background papers and surveys commissioned specifically for this inquiry, as well as existing research conducted by themselves and other pension experts. The report was also enriched by discussions with policymakers, pension fund industry managers, and academics at a regional conference held in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 22–23, 2004.