Economic Transformation Strategy

Percentage 0 25 CHAPTER 1 / INTRODUCTION Chart 1: Unemployment Rate by Age Group and Sex, Q2 2017, Q1 and Q2 2018 Male Female Both Sexes Male Female Both Sexes Male Female Total Male Female Both Sexes Male Female Both Sexes Male Female Both Sexes 15 < 25 25 <55 55+ Total Seychelles' life expectancy of 74.3 years is relatively high compared to other countries in the region but still lags be- hind its income-level peers, mostly because of the wide life expectancy gap between women and men. Seychelles has an ageing population, mainly due to increased life expectancy and a low and declining birth rate. Nevertheless, the projected population is expected to increase slightly over the next 25 years. It is expected that there will be a higher burden on government expenditure in terms of pensions and social welfare expenditure, higher migration levels and greater automation processes to support the ageing population and compensate for the reduced labour force partic- ipation rate. The projected population composition for the age group of 15 and below is expected to decline while the age group of 65 and above is expected to double by 2040. The state provides free primary and universal access to healthcare with a focus on improving service delivery and quality of care. Over the years, Seychelles has developed a robust primary care system. However, various challenges remain. The disease burden is now dominated by cardiovascular, respiratory and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) due to unhealthy lifestyles (smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, substance abuse and increasing alcohol consumption) as well as ageing. These require better preventative management of NCD risk factors and provision of chronic and long-term care. There has also been a rise in HIV and hepatitis C cases as a result of intravenous drug use. 25

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