The article argues that the growth of the elderly population in the Kyrgyz Republic has exacerbated the housing problem of the older generation. The ongoing improvement of living conditions, including in family households where there is an older generation, is not keeping pace with the growth of their number, therefore, many elderly people are forced to live in cramped conditions, in violation of sanitary standards of living. The work is devoted to the assessment of households with elderly people in the context of an increase in the number of the elderly generation. The method of secondary statistical analysis confirms the aspect that the older generation is one of the main resources of each state. And the higher the quality of this resource, the higher its productivity, efficiency and level of development of society.
older generation, demography, housing, elderly population, households, housing conditions, housing demography
Introduction and relevance
Today's active aging of the population is a global reality, which, in turn, arouses international scientific interest in this phenomenon. The need to ensure a decent quality of life for the elderly population of the country is the main task of a socially oriented state. The relevance of the study of the elderly population, namely its housing well-being, is confirmed by the steady increase in the number of the elderly population and the aging of the population as a whole. Population aging is observed in many countries, including the Kyrgyz Republic, which, in principle, corresponds to the global aging process of the world's population.
The purpose of the work was the definition of the dynamics of households with older people and living conditions of the older generation in such households.
In order to achieve the goal of the work, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:
– consider the living conditions of the older generation in these households;
– to study the dynamics of the elderly population in households both in the regional and in the republic as a whole.
Foreign research and publications
It should be noted the works of Mulder C.H., (2006) [1; 2], in which, on the basis of practical research, the relationship between the housing sector and population indicators was proved. And the relationship between housing and public health is reflected in the scientific studies of Braubach, M., Jacobs, D.E., Ormandy, D (2011) [3], Evans GW, Wells NM, Moch A, (2000) [4].
Main part
The share of lonely elderly people in the country is growing and today it is 10% of the total number of elderly people in the country. In addition, at the age of 60, every second woman is a widow and, unlike men in this age group, has a very low chance of remarriage. This is a category of women who in the future may also become clients of social services.
As we all know, the housing problem has been exacerbated by the sharp decline in public housing construction. Despite the significant rise in private construction, it cannot fully satisfy all segments of the population. And it's no secret that their main task is to maximize profits at the expense of the solvent population [5; 6; 7].
Thus, the poor and middle classes, including the elderly, are currently faced with housing and security problems [8].
In general, medium-sized households prevail in the republic, and in the southern regions - larger households due to the high birth rate. The largest households are located in Osh region with an average size of 6.1 inhabitants, followed by Batken region with 5.4 inhabitants. (see Table 1)
Table 1. Average household size and number of elderly people per household by region (people)
|
Region |
Average household size |
Seniors per household |
|
Batken |
5.4 |
1.6 |
|
Jalal-Abad |
4.7 |
1.5 |
|
Issyk-Kul |
3.6 |
1.5 |
|
Naryn |
4.5 |
1.5 |
|
Osh |
6.1 |
1.6 |
|
Talas |
4.8 |
1.6 |
|
Chuiskaya |
3.8 |
1.5 |
|
Bishkek city |
2.8 |
1.3 |
|
Osh city |
4.1 |
1.5 |
Source: compiled by the author based on [9]
To create a clear picture, it is also necessary to consider how many households have 1 to 4 or more elderly people (see Table 2). The table clearly shows that the largest number of households with one elderly person lives in Bishkek and is 67.7%, and the smallest - in Batken region - 43.8%.
Table 2. The number of older generation in households by region, in%
|
1 senior |
2 seniors |
3 seniors |
4 seniors and more |
|
|
Batken |
43.8 |
55.1 |
0.9 |
0.2 |
|
Jalal-Abad |
54.3 |
43.9 |
1.2 |
0.6 |
|
Issyk-Kul |
54.7 |
43.1 |
2.2 |
0 |
|
Naryn |
52.2 |
46.4 |
1.1 |
0.2 |
|
Osh |
46.3 |
51.9 |
1.8 |
0 |
|
Talas |
50.6 |
48.3 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
|
Chuiskaya |
57.2 |
40.8 |
1.8 |
0.2 |
|
Bishkek city |
67.7 |
31.4 |
0.9 |
0 |
|
Osh city |
54.5 |
43.9 |
1.6 |
0 |
Source: compiled by the author based on [9]
At the same time, the largest number of households with 4 elderly people live in Jalal-Abad region - 0.6% and in Talas region - 0.5%, and in 5 regions there are practically no such households.
In other words, the larger the household, the higher the proportion of older people in it. The size of the household is also influenced by the birth rate and the national mentality - like cohabitation of different generations, this phenomenon is especially pronounced in the southern regions of the republic. Large households are often the most vulnerable socially, as their size is mainly due to the large number of children and the elderly, and, therefore, there is a small share of able-bodied members of the household [10; 11; 12; 13].
However, there is every reason to believe that another equally acute problem for older people related to housing is the payment or provision of services for a decent living. Meanwhile, the rise in prices for energy carriers in recent years and a decrease in the profitability of housing and communal services enterprises have led to a twofold increase in prices for housing and communal services, electricity, gas and fuel [14; 15; 16]. Despite the fact that a large proportion of older people belong to different categories of beneficiaries, the rise in prices for housing real estate and its maintenance have significantly worsened the already poor living conditions of older people.
The consequence of this situation was a sharp increase in the number of elderly people who switched to full state maintenance. So, according to the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, at the end of 2019, about 38% of pensioners of women and men pointed to their difficult financial situation, and 13% - to a very difficult one. Of these, 2.5% would like to live in a nursing home [17].
It is clear that the provision of housing is one of the main conditions for the formation of human potential and human development in general. However, without decent living conditions it is impossible to achieve the world goals of human development, such as decent longevity, excellent health, competitive education [18; 19 20]. In this context, Kyrgyzstan has a traditionally high level of housing conditions and housing provision among the older generation. According to a study by the Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, 89.9% of households live in their own house or in a privatized apartment.
For a clear advantage, older people live in private houses and this preference can be traced in the north and south of the republic. Nevertheless, in cities, this indicator is almost equal to living in an apartment in an apartment building (see Table 3).
Table 3. Housing occupied by households by type in%
|
|
Total |
City |
Village |
North |
South |
|
Apartment in an apartment building |
18.9 |
47.8 |
2.7 |
20.5 |
14.7 |
|
A private house |
79.4 |
50.0 |
95.9 |
77.3 |
84.9 |
|
Part of a private house |
1.7 |
2.2 |
1.4 |
2.2 |
0.4 |
Source: compiled by the author based on [9]
Only 2.7% of households live in apartments in the countryside, 47.8% in cities. In Bishkek, 57.6% live in apartment buildings, in Osh this figure is slightly lower and reaches 32.7%.
However, across the country, about 10.1% of households live in individual houses and apartments that are not their property.
According to the statistical report of the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic "Elderly People in the Kyrgyz Republic", the highest percentage of rental housing - more than 17% was recorded in Osh and Bishkek, while in other regions it practically does not exceed 7-10% and in the Batken region in total 3% [9].
This situation is quite possibly caused by internal migration, especially urbanization, and it is likely that households may have their own housing in other regions and districts. Here, it is important for us to highlight that 13.2% of single elderly people in cities and 10.8% of single elderly people in villages do not have a home on full private property rights and live in a rented dwelling, which significantly affects the material situation of the elderly. of people. For example, on average, they have to pay 4374 soms for rent per month, but this amount is approximately equal to the average per capita income in the country [21].
As it is quite clear, when analyzing housing provision, it is not enough to take into account quantitative indicators, but it is necessary to take into account the qualitative characteristics of the dwelling and especially its improvement, such as equipping with hot and cold water supply, sewerage, electricity, shower or bath [22; 23; 24; 25].
However, according to statistics, over the past few years, there has been a decrease in the provision of the housing stock with all kinds of amenities. So, relative to 2009. gas supply decreased by 10.1%, amounting to 26.9% in the total area of the housing stock, baths / showers - by 0.6% or 17.5% in the total area.
But at the same time, water supply increased by 13% or 36.6% in the total area, sewerage - by 16.6%, that is, 26.6%, central heating - by 17.3% and, accordingly, 13.3% in the total housing stock area.
It is no secret that the presence of favorable amenities has a positive effect on the health of older people. Meanwhile, the availability of amenities in households is not evenly distributed across the country. It is common knowledge that central communications and amenities are well provided for urban households than rural households (see Table 4).
Table 4. Availability of amenities in households, in the context of urban/rural, in%
|
kitchen |
Ind./toil. |
Out./toil. |
Cold/water |
Hot/water |
Bathroom |
Electr. |
Nat./Gas |
Cent./heat. |
|
|
urban |
96.5 |
55.7 |
56.4 |
94.4 |
58.9 |
65.3 |
98.2 |
58.4 |
40.9 |
|
rural |
83 |
5.4 |
97.3 |
66.6 |
11.1 |
22.1 |
98.5 |
5.3 |
2.1 |
Source: compiled by the author based on [9]
However, one should not forget that lonely elderly people, especially in villages, are the most vulnerable category among the elderly population. In such houses, the presence of internal toilets was noted in 5.7%, the presence of a bath was detected in 17.4% of cases, hot water supply - 13.8%, central heating - 5.5%, natural gas - 6.4%. Until now, the most common type of heating, especially in rural areas, is stove. How it affects health is described in the chapter on health and housing.
To truly understand the housing issue among older people, it is necessary to understand how satisfied they are with existing housing conditions [26;27; 28; 29].
According to the results of the assessment of households' satisfaction with living conditions, carried out by the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, it can be noted that households live in villages in much less favorable conditions than in cities. If the overall level of satisfaction with housing conditions in the surveyed households is 73.6%, in urban areas - 79.6%, then in rural areas - 70.2%.
Thus, residents of Chui and Naryn regions are least satisfied with their living conditions, but in the next 3 years only 3.8% and 5.5% of residents of these regions will move. The largest percentage of those planning to move to Bishkek (13.7%) and Osh (7.8%), of those who live in villages, only 3.3% plan to move. Although living conditions in rural areas are much worse than in cities, the percentage of satisfaction with them is much higher, and the desire to move is much lower [9].
So, the modern generation of the elderly population is adherents of the Soviet era. Decent living conditions for them are some kind of roof over their heads, and even the presence of four walls can create pleasant living conditions for them. The older generation does not need expensive cars and presidential apartments. Coziness and comfort for the elderly are their children and grandchildren, communication with whom gives them energy, strength and health.
This approach to the quality of housing is based on the generally accepted notion that "we live like everyone else" or "no worse than our neighbors", but this limitation is mainly due to the lack of awareness of the population about the higher quality of residential amenities [30; 31; 32].
Conclusion
Thus, we can state the negative impact of current housing conditions on the health of older people. The overwhelming majority of households in the republic do not have living conditions that meet sanitary and hygienic requirements. Therefore, the modern housing policy of Kyrgyzstan should focus primarily on improving living conditions and providing housing for every family, which will help create a favorable microclimate to maintain not only physical health, but also mental and social well-being of the country's population, especially vulnerable households and single elderly people.
Even with a 90% level of private housing provision, 12% of single elderly people in Kyrgyzstan live in rented housing, which indicates the need to strengthen social housing measures for vulnerable groups of the population. At the same time, the provision of households with elderly people with communal services also wants to be better, namely cold and hot water, as well as gas supply.
In addition, the obtained analysis data will allow adapting national development programs to international conditions, as well as formulating relevant programs that take into account the needs of the elderly population of Kyrgyzstan.
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