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Food Insecurity and Mexico’s Non-Contributory Pension: Evidence from Older Adults Living Alone and Without Social Support

Author

Listed:
  • Nataly Hernandez-Grageda

    (SECIHTI-Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana)

  • Owen Eli Ceballos Mina

    (Departament of Economics, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana)

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of the Pension for the Well-Being of Older Adults in Mexico on food insecurity among elderly individuals living alone and those living alone without social support. Using microdata from the 2022 National Survey of Household Income and Expenditures (ENIGH), we implement a fuzzy regression discontinuity design based on the program’s age eligibility threshold of 65 years. To strengthen causal identification, we adopt a local randomization approach. Results indicate that receiving the pension significantly reduces the probability of food insecurity—by 7.3 percentage points for older adults living alone and by 10.1 percentage points for those living alone without social support. These findings highlight the potential of the Pension for the Well-Being of Older Adults to alleviate food insecurity among highly vulnerable elderly populations, where traditional social programs—including other non-contributory pensions—may be less effective due to limited mobility, health challenges, and emotional vulnerability.

Suggested Citation

  • Nataly Hernandez-Grageda & Owen Eli Ceballos Mina, 2025. "Food Insecurity and Mexico’s Non-Contributory Pension: Evidence from Older Adults Living Alone and Without Social Support," Sobre México. Revista de Economía, Sobre México. Temas en economía, vol. 1(12), pages 5-35.
    • Handle: RePEc:smx:journl:12:5:35
    as

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    File URL: https://sobremexico-revista.ibero.mx/index.php/Revista_Sobre_Mexico/article/view/181
    File Function: First version, 2025
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matias D. Cattaneo & Rocío Titiunik, 2022. "Regression Discontinuity Designs," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 14(1), pages 821-851, August.
    2. Matias D. Cattaneo & Nicolas Idrobo & Rocio Titiunik, 2023. "A Practical Introduction to Regression Discontinuity Designs: Extensions," Papers 2301.08958, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2024.
    3. Matias D. Cattaneo & Luke Keele & Rocio Titiunik, 2021. "Covariate Adjustment in Regression Discontinuity Designs," Papers 2110.08410, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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