Public financing proposal to improve the income of the elderly: A case study

Objective. The study proposes a public financing policy to improve the income of the elderly in Zacatecas, Mexico, by creating productive projects. The aim is to provide sustainable economic alternatives that take advantage of this age group's capabilities, promoting entrepreneurship and labor inclusion among young people. In addition, a bibliometric approach is carried out to identify variables, techniques, tools, or methodologies that can optimize the study's objective and provide greater precision in formulating public policies. Design/Methodology/Approach. To evaluate the viability of the proposed productive projects, a quantitative approach was used based on financial techniques such as the Net Present Value (NPV), the Profitability Index (PI), and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The research is based on a study applied to 2566 elderly people from different municipalities of Zacatecas, in which their need for economic support was identified. As for the bibliometric analysis, the Scopus database performs a performance analysis, and VOSviewer is used as a processing tool. Results/Discussion. The results show that, with an initial investment of 3,150,000 Mexican pesos, 100 productive projects can be financed with an IRR of 233.65%, indicating high profitability. The proposal improves the income of the elderly and creates employment for young people, generating significant economic and social benefits for the community. Conclusions. The academic and scientific community identifies everything related to the elderly as an area of interest and growth, so developing knowledge in this field is appropriate. In addition, implementing public policies that support productive projects for the elderly is feasible and profitable. These initiatives improve the economic conditions of this age group and contribute to local economic development and social cohesion. Originality/Value. This study provides an innovative perspective by linking elderly entrepreneurship with public resources to foster economic inclusion. It proposes a model that can be replicated in other regions with similar demographic characteristics.