By Thomas Kergonou Jimenez – (OECD) and Romain Bayona-Ruiz
By 2030, Guadeloupe and Martinique are expected to have between 70 and 80 elderly people for every 100 people of working age, compared with around 60 in mainland France. This highlights the particularly rapid pace of demographic aging in these territories.
Across OECD countries…
Population aging is no longer a far-off scenario; it is already happening. In OECD countries, the share of people aged 65 and over has doubled over the past sixty years, rising from less than 9% in 1960 to 18% in 2021. This shift can be explained by two deep-rooted trends: declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy.
Long regarded as young and dynamic territories, cities are not spared by this transformation. Admittedly, urban populations remain younger on average than those in rural areas. However, the overall trend is clear. Between 2020 and 2040, the proportion of elderly people in metropolitan areas across OECD countries is expected to rise from 19% to 25% on average.
As populations age, access to healthcare, mobility and local services becomes more important. But one issue stands out above the rest: housing. This often determines whether senior citizens can remain independent, active and access the right public services. Adapting housing is not merely a matter of comfort. It is about making it possible to age with dignity.
An accelerated demographic transition in parts of France’s overseas territories
As demographic ageing accelerates in Martinique, Guadeloupe and Réunion, a significant share of young people from these territories migrate to mainland France to study and then work, before returning at retirement age, thereby further exacerbating demographic imbalances.
Between 2020 and 2050, the proportion of people aged 65 and over is expected to rise from 20 percent to 43 percent in Martinique, from 22 percent to 46 percent in Guadeloupe and from 12 percent to 23 percent in Réunion, compared with an increase from 20 percent to 27 percent in mainland France.
This rapid ageing is unfolding in fragile socio-economic contexts. France’s outermost regions rank among the poorest in Europe, with GDP per capita equivalent to 58 percent of the EU average in 2022. Older adults in overseas territories are also more likely to face poverty and isolation. In Martinique, 32 percent of pensioners were below the poverty line in 2019, nearly 20 percentage points more than in mainland France. Weaker care networks and family distance, and a high proportion of single-parent families, can all make support harder to access.
A housing stock still poorly adapted to ageing
As elsewhere in the OECD, housing in the overseas territories remains poorly adapted to ageing. Serviced housing, co-housing and medical accommodation remain scarce for low-income groups, limiting opportunities to age at home. This challenge extends well beyond France. In the United States, fewer than 5 percent of homes are adapted for reduced mobility. In Japan, 58 percent of homes occupied by older adults still lack barrier-free facilities such as step-free entrances, walk-in showers and wider doorways.
At the same time, older residents occupy homes that are too large and difficult to maintain, while younger households face overcrowding. In Réunion, Martinique and Guadeloupe, nearly two-thirds of people aged over 64 live in three or four-room dwellings, compared with less than half in mainland France.
Rethinking housing for older adults: Lessons from the overseas territories, with a focus on Réunion
Faced with these challenges, France’s overseas territories are not merely importing existing models. They are developing their own responses, shaped by their historical, social and economic realities.
In Saint-Denis, on the island of La Réunion, the Les Résidentiales project offers one example. Led by the semi-public company SEMADER – created by the inter-municipal authority of La Réunion – in partnership with the ALEFPA association, it is the first “résidence autonomie” for older adults in France’s overseas territories.
Designed for independent older adults with modest incomes, the residence includes 52 social housing units and a range of shared indoor and outdoor spaces. These spaces are designed to encourage social interaction, reduce isolation and make it easier for residents to welcome family and friends.
Residents pay a monthly fee starting at around EUR 450, before receiving housing benefits, helping keep the scheme affordable. The residence also offers activities, services and events aimed at preventing loss of autonomy, including gentle exercise, memory workshops, help with accessing social rights and teleassistance. Other services, such as laundry facilities and meal delivery are available as needed.
This model differs from similar schemes in mainland France in several ways. In particular, it blends multiple sources of public support, including the Ligne Budgétaire Unique (LBU) for overseas territories, tax credits, funding from the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) resources and support from the departmental council. Residences are also smaller in scale, helping foster a more family-like atmosphere, and enabling more personalised support for residents.
How the overseas territories can inspire the rest of the OECD
As ageing accelerates across OECD countries, these overseas territories offer valuable lessons. Réunion’s experience in particular suggests that smaller-scale, more community-based housing can help address some of the limits of more standard models. Other regions would do well to take note.
Further reading: Cities for All Ages and Helping Regions Adapt to Demographic Change.