Some groups of elderly are at increased risk because of their low social status, such as widows in India. NGOs are providing care for some, but will not be able to care for the very rapidly growing elderly population in developing countries. The problem is particularly severe in southern Africa, although the extent of ageing is still low. As AIDS is wiping out large proportions of young and adult populations, the elderly are left behind without care. How developing countries care for their elderly population will be a major development issue in the 21st century.
Remittances are significant sources of income for many families in the world.
As in the developed world, population growth continues to decline, policy makers view migration as a possible solution to ageing and labour shortage. There is no indication that migration will decline with a continued globalisation. The strategic significance of migration for both sending and receiving countries has only recently been discovered. Migration could be a development strategy when migrants are viewed as human resources and migration flows and migrant networks are adequately documented and their development monitored.