Abstract
<jats:p>Global demographic processes, particularly the increasing proportion of the elderly, represent one of the main challenges for social protection systems and public policies in contemporary societies. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Esping-Andersen’s welfare regimes, as well as contemporary sociological theories of ageing, this paper examines the position of the elderly in different socio-political and institutional contexts through a comparative analysis of social protection systems of the United States, France, Japan, and Serbia. The methodological framework is based on the qualitative analysis of relevant legal frameworks, public policies, and national strategies, complemented by secondary quantitative data from non-governmental and international organizations. The findings indicate that the position of the elderly varies significantly depending on the social protection model, with countries that possess clear institutional mechanisms and well-developed active ageing strategies being more successful in mitigating the negative effects of economic and demographic pressures. The paper concludes that understanding of the ageing process has to be multidimensional, simultaneously demographic, political, and sociocultural, in order to capture the complex processes that determine the position of the elderly in contemporary societies.</jats:p>