Population ageing is increasingly becoming an issue for concern throughout the world, and particularly in less developed countries where the growth of the older population is ever more rapid. In order to sharpen international focus on some of the key operational challenges faced by older people today, in early 2001 UNFPA commissioned a pilot study in South Africa and India. The study methodology entailed a literature review, including an analysis of the socio-cultural factors affecting older people, and a participatory assessment of how older persons perceive their lives. This publication contains the main findings of the study.