Thought for the day

Without Migration the Workforce of Many Countries will Dramatically Shrink


 
Last updated: 7 February 2025
 
Developed countries across the globe have faced falling fertility rates over recent decades. This will continue to shrink the working-age population in these countries. In South Korea, for example, the working-age population is predicted to fall by 18% by the middle of this century. Attempts to reverse this trend have so far proven futile.

Fall in percentage of working-age population in select countries by 2050
The working-age population represents those aged 15 to 64.
Without Migration the Workforce of Many Countries will Dramatically Shrink




Out of all the age groups in the population, retirees cost Governments the most due to unfunded pension payments, alongside much higher medical and care costs. A declining number of workers will have to support this growing demographic of non-working retirees, and this is in addition to regular Government costs. This will be an increasingly unsustainable tax burden on the working-age population. Studies have projected that these low-fertility countries will become increasingly reliant on immigration to sustain their growth.
 See more Fertility Rate data...



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