Puerto Rico åldras raskt när fler väljer att lämna
Archive image. Elderly woman in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
Political situation in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is aging rapidly as more people choose to leave
Puerto Rico is aging faster than most other countries in the world. The reason is the large number of people of working age who have left the island in the last 15 years in search of better paying jobs, more educational opportunities and a higher quality of life, reports NBC News.
Currently, about a quarter of the population is 65 or older. It is the tenth highest rate in the world according to demographer Amílcar Matos-Moreno. When many younger people choose to leave the country, the elderly can no longer rely on help from family and relatives to the same extent, which has put great pressure on the island's institutions and care facilities.
The situation is further aggravated by relatively low birth rates and an increasingly higher average life expectancy.
Empty restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Alejandro Granadillo / AP
74-year-old Irma: "A ghost town - few are looking for 14"
The lack of nursing homes is evident in several cities in Puerto Rico and there are not enough resources to care for the rapidly aging population, writes NBC News.
74-year-old Irma Martínez has lived in Guánica, on the southwest coast, all her life. She says that Guánica has become a "ghost town" since more and more residents chose to leave to seek happiness in other countries.
- I hardly ever see a soul wandering around after 2 p.m. Almost everyone who lives here is older, we like to come home early, she says.
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