Este artículo es producto del proyecto de investigación "Impacto del trabajo juvenil en la percepción del salud de los jóvenes colombianos", presentado como requisito para optar al título de Magíster en Economía de la Universidad del Norte. Grupo Desarrollo Económico, Instituciones y Políticas Públicas para el Progreso del Caribe Colombiano (PROCARIBE), Clasificado en la categoría D de Colciencias, Convocatoria 2010. La investigación fue financiada con recursos propios del grupo y su ejecución se llevó a cabo entre junio de 2011 y marzo de 2012.

The article addresses the feasibility that a less developed country, such as, Colombia might adopt a universal policy scheme, such as, the one that functions successfully in a developed nation, specifically, the one in New Zealand. Starting in the 19th century, the pension schemes in Colombia, and in New Zealand, were designed differently, and have resulted in different outcomes. I conclude that there are several factors, such as, geographic proximity pattern, ageing population, financial sustainability, and superannuation pillar design that would enable Colombia to adopt the first pension pillar successfully. Even so, there are also some challenges, such as, policy legacy, simplicity, pensionable age, institutional weakness, population size, and homeland security that Colombia will need to address to ensure its success – specifically how to decrease poverty among the elderly population without affecting the long-term sustainability of the retirement system.