Aging on the Beach. The Emerging Migration of Seniors to the Central Coast of Chile (1987 - 2017)

Abstract

Migration of elder people to coastal areas is a common phenomenon in countries of the global North, but may also be significant in regions that are gradually aging, such as Latin America. In this study, we investigate whether migration of seniors to coastal areas also occurs in Chile –a rapidly aging country of the global South– despite unfavorable socioeconomic conditions for the majority of its older population. Taking the Central Coast of Chile as a case study, a quantitative analysis of census data (1992, 2002, and 2017) is conducted to observe the demographic evolution of coastal municipalities outside metropolitan areas, which have been subject to intensive urbanization processes. The results effectively show migration of seniors to coastal the Central Coast of Chile, although the socioeconomic condition of these people is an important factor that explains the engagement in migration to coastal areas and the choice of relocation destinations.