Social Security and Pension Systems

Abstract

Because of differences in history, population structure, and socioeconomic environments, most countries have a wide variety of systems to provide retirement security for their senior citizens. To recommend ways to establish secure, sustainable, and adequate senior‐citizen security systems, such as social security, pensions, and retirement saving systems, it is first necessary to understand the current status of retired security systems in different countries. This entry takes a comparative approach and focuses on systems in the United States, Germany, China, and India to determine the major challenges these countries face in providing senior‐citizen security systems, to compare their programs, and to recommend directions for reform.