Familial transfers are the dominant support system for children, not just
in Asia. The difference between Asia and non- Asian countries is that, in Asia, familial transfers are especially important for supporting the elderly as well. Although in Japan and the Republic of Korea, the extended family as an institution has declined very rapidly in the last few decades, roughly half the elderly still live with their children. In other Asian countries, the great majority of the elderly live with their children, and there is a surprising degree of stability in these arrangements.