Colombia is a country of approximately 42 million inhabitants,
with some 2.5 million being aged 65 and older. Currently,
life expectancy in Colombia is 72.3. By 2025, the
population life expectancy at birth will be 77.6 for women
and 69.8 for men. The quality of care that people receive as
they age in Colombia varies according to where they live.
Individuals living in the highly urbanized areas of Colombia
receive high-quality care, whereas elderly subjects living in
rural areas and in the southern and northern regions are
exposed to unemployment, low income, inequity of access
to health care, drug trafficking, and armed conflict. In spite
of these problems, characteristics of aging of older people in
terms of functionality and healthcare access are similar to
those of people living in developing countries around the
world. This article reviews the particular characteristics of
the elderly population in Colombia, especially the signifi-
cant changes that have happened in recent years, when social
instability and conflict have determined that health
resources be redirected to other budget priorities such as
defense