Benefits Of A Smaller Population

It may be true that aging slows down an economy, but not necessarily, some economists say.

1 minute read

February 10, 2005, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"You can see the hand-wringing from Berlin to Boston, Toronto to Tokyo: Low birthrates and aging populations spell disaster for rich nations. They'll overburden children with financial obligations to their elders, rend social safety nets, and push economies into neutral.

...The McKinsey Global Institute in New York has just published a lengthy study of the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, and Italy, which account for two-thirds of global financial assets. Its key conclusion is that growth in household financial wealth over the next 20 years will slow by more than two thirds, from 4.5 percent historically to 1.3 percent."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Wednesday, February 9, 2005 in The Christian Science Monitor

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