The extent, speed and impact of population ageing have often been exaggerated because standard indicators such as the Old-Age Dependency Ratio or Support Ratio do not take proper account of falling mortality, the changing relationship between age and employment, or (usually) both. Neither do...

We present three conditions for a demography-driven middle-income trap and show that many economies in East, South, and Southeast Asia satisfy all of them. The conditions are (1) support ratio - the ratio of workers to consumers - matters for economic growth, (2) economic development accompanies...

Inevitable population aging and slower population growth will affect the economies of all nations in ways influenced by cultural values, institutional arrangements, and economic incentives. One outcome will be a tendency toward increased capital intensity, higher wages, and lower returns on...