Ageing, population, AIDS face humanity
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-07-26 06:24

In Europe and Asia falling birth rates and longer life expectancy are leading to an aging of the world's population.

According to UN figures, 20 per cent of today's population in developed countries are over 60 and by 2050 that proportion is projected to rise to 32 per cent.

"If nothing is done, the aging of the population will lead to a reduction in the workforce, a fall in economic growth and large shortages of labour," said Martine Durand, an economist with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Raising the retirement age is one of a number of politically difficult policy options facing governments along with increased immigration, encouraging people to have more children and employment creation, as they try to counter the economic effects of having a shrinking workforce and growing number of retirees.

Durand said governments in developed countries are already taking measures to delay retirement. Italy, Finland, Spain, Norway and France have already restricted the possibility of early retirement while Austria, Switzerland and Belgium have raised the legal age of retirement.

Due to falling fertility rates, immigration will continue to play an important role for a number of countries, particularly in Europe, over the next 25 years.

"Without immigration a number of European countries would experience a substantial fall in their populations," said Serge Feld of the University of Liege in Belgium.

Only Finland and France will be increasing their populations largely from natural population growth.

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