Aging, Retirement, and Elderly Welfare

Mehmet Hanefi Topal (Prof.)

Kırklareli University

July 15, 2025

We are pleased to announce that Senectus is now accepting submissions for its upcoming special issue titled “Aging, Retirement, and Elderly Welfare”

Turkey is among the countries undergoing rapid demographic change, with a significantly growing elderly population. According to 2023 data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the proportion of elderly people in the total population has exceeded 10% for the first time. Based on the main projection scenario, this ratio is expected to reach 23.1% by 2050, 31.7% by 2075, and 33.6% by 2100. This dramatic transformation poses major challenges regarding the sustainability of pension systems, the well-being of older individuals, and the effectiveness of social protection mechanisms.

Traditional pension and elderly welfare programs in Turkey, already strained by demographic pressures, are further challenged by economic instability and evolving labor market dynamics. The sustainability of the national pension system is a critical concern, as a shrinking working-age population combined with rising life expectancy is placing increased stress on public finances. Many retirees rely heavily on pensions that are often insufficient, leaving older adults vulnerable to poverty. Contributing factors include widespread informal employment and low participation in private or individual pension schemes, leading to a lack of adequate retirement savings for many. Economic vulnerability is especially pronounced among elderly women, individuals with disabilities, and those living in rural areas, who face higher risks of poverty and financial insecurity.

Elder care and social protection systems in Turkey remain underdeveloped, with limited institutional support for both professional and informal caregivers. Care work is undervalued, with caregivers often receiving low wages. As family structures evolve, caregivers are frequently elderly themselves, and older individuals often lack the income to afford care services, exacerbating the difficulties faced by both the elderly and their families.

Furthermore, policies promoting active and positive aging in Turkey remain weak and insufficient. Strategies such as lifelong learning, flexible employment models, and age-friendly workplace practices have not been adequately developed. As a result, older workers encounter age discrimination, limited access to upskilling or reskilling opportunities, and precarious working conditions.

This special issue aims to explore the multidimensional aspects of aging, retirement, and elderly well-being through an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective. We seek to bring together high-quality research on aging, retirement, and elderly welfare in Turkey and beyond. Submissions may include studies on retirement systems, social protection mechanisms, policy innovations, structural inequalities, labor market transformations, and the evolving role of families and communities in elder care.

We particularly welcome:

- Empirical articles using causal inference methods,

- Review articles that synthesize and critically assess existing knowledge,

- Interdisciplinary contributions from fields such as sociology, psychology, economics, public health, gerontology, social work, and related disciplines,

- Studies using institutional data sets or original field research conducted in Turkey.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

        * Demographic transformation, aging, and retirement in Turkey

        * Active aging policies and retirement

        * Volunteering and social participation in later life

        * Age discrimination and labor market dynamics

        * Welfare regimes and pension systems

        * Aging and the Sustainable Development Goals

        * Public and private pension plans

        * Political economy of retirement in Turkey

        * Tax policies targeting elderly welfare

        * Individual pension systems, savings, and lifetime income

        * Elderly poverty and economic insecurity

        * Welfare of caregivers

        * Social protection and care services

        * Elder care systems in urban and rural areas

        * Social exclusion and inclusion strategies in old age

        * Elderly individuals with disabilities and special needs

        * Housing and health care needs of the elderly

All submissions should be made via the journal's online article tracking system: https://editorial.istanbul.edu.tr/

For inquiries about the special issue, please contact the Guest Editor: Mehmet Hanefi Topal – mtopal@klu.edu.tr

For technical support, please contact the journal manager: senectus@istanbul.edu.tr

Senectus is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes research related to the aging process and old age. The journal aims to serve as a platform for original, scientific, international, and interdisciplinary studies; to generate high-quality discussions on aging/old age; and to contribute to the shaping of policies related to these issues in Turkey. In addition to technical competence, the studies to be published are expected to provide new and original contributions to the discussions in the field. In this way, the journal aims to contribute to the creation of a body of knowledge that will be useful to individuals and/or institutions working in the field of aging/old age in Turkey.

As an interdisciplinary journal, Senectus accepts submissions from different disciplines related to aging/old age. With its multidisciplinary approach, the journal publishes empirical research, evaluations, editorial notes, case studies, historical documents, and book reviews from an international perspective.