The Elderly Persons avoid Retirement to survive in Cameroon

The result collected from the last three censuses of 1976, 1987 and 2005 shows that the number of aged people has not stopped increased in Cameroon. From 1976 to 1987, the number of aged people has been multiplied by 1.3. Eighteen years later, these results represent 1.5 % of those of 1987. Using the data of the third GPHC, this paper uses the analysis of the census to bring out the reasons of the high activity rate of the aged people in Cameroon. In fact, the activities rate of elderly persons of 65 years goes closer to 65%, though it is relatively low for aged women (51%). Globally, the majority of aged people (54.3%) continues to work. Whereas, in other developed countries people do work for a long period to cover the deficit of human labor since the labor is difficult to find, so they go above the normal age of retirement. But, in Cameroon this is not the case because of poverty. Majority of aged people spend their lives working to insure their welbeing and that of their families.