The Looming Retirement Crisis

An aging population represents a major challenge for many countries around the world. Falling birth rates coupled with rising life expectancies are likely to place significant pressure on labor markets, healthcare and pension systems. OECD data reveals how a number of countries are facing particularly rapid aging. Where the number of retirees for every 100 workers already stood at 52 in Japan and 40 in Italy in 2020, projections say this could hit 81 and 74 by 2050.

The challenges posed by such demographic changes will affect a growing number of countries in the coming decades, including China and the United States, whose populations currently remain younger than those of the other nations on this chart.