December 2021

Japan’s Lesson for the World: Robots Won’t Save Us

Japan affords a preview of what the future of the United States, Australia, and Western Europe will become unless meaningful steps are taken to ensure that a nation’s relevance is measured by how it creates lives of dignity for its citizenry. But seeing this relevance has become difficult as much of the luster has gone from Japan studies. Wistful comments about heady days during the 1980s, when scholars of Japan were in demand, are still heard. But China now...

The OECD warns of the pressure of aging on the financial sustainability of pensions in Spain

The body warns, at a general level and without specifying any country, that the future of pension systems depends on the decision being made to raise contributions, extend the retirement age or reduce pensions. A pensioner during a demonstration of this group in Bilbao. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has warned of the impact that the aging of the population will have on the “financial sustainability” of the Spanish pension system, according to the annex for Spain of the biennial...

Why the demographic transition is speeding up

Why the demographic transition is speeding up

As birth announcements go, it was momentous. On November 24th India’s government declared that the country’s fertility rate had dropped to 2.0 children per woman. That is below the replacement rate—at which new births are sufficient to maintain a steady population—and puts India in the company of many richer economies. Indeed, fertility rates are now below replacement level in all four “ bric” countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), with the population probably falling in Russia and China. It...

Pensions protected during COVID-19 pandemic but ageing challenges persist, says OECD

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll among elderly people although retirees have seen their pension payments well protected across OECD countries. Future pension entitlements have also been well protected thanks to the exceptional policy response to the crisis, according to a new OECD report. Pensions at a Glance 2021 says however that the long-term financial pressure from ageing persists. Pension finances deteriorated during the pandemic due to lost contributions, and shortfalls have been mainly covered by state budgets....

Priorities for social security Trends, challenges and solutions

Priorities for social security Trends, challenges and solutions

By ISSA This report is the result of collective efforts by the professional staff of the Social Security Development branch of the General Secretariat of the International Social Security Association and external experts. Staff were assigned responsibility for authoring specific chapters and sections for this seminal report. Get the book here 767 views

How Technology Can Support Healthy Aging

As populations are aging around the world, people are spending more time in poor health. In 2019, the global average time spent in poor health was 10 years, up from 8.6 years in 2000. The COVID-19 pandemic has now exacerbated health risks for the elderly, while straining the capacity of health and care systems to cope with growing demand. This moment calls for a re-examination of how the elderly can age well: independently, well cared for and happily. Below are...

Latin America and the Caribbean is ageing rapidly, however the projections may be better than expected

The region is projected to experience a rapid change in its population’s age structure. The proportion of citizens older than 65 will more than double in the next three decades. However, rethinking ageing in terms of health is crucial to inform public policy, argue Diego Wachs (LSE) and Andres Roman Urrestarazu (Stanford University). Read also Private pension plans in Latin America and sustainable finance Latin America and the Caribbean will experience a rapid change in their population structure over the next...

US. Treasury Sets 2021 Retirement Plan Amendment Deadlines

The IRS has issued its required amendments list for 2021, setting deadlines for changes in qualification requirements for employee benefit plans and end-dates for remedial amendment periods. The remedial amendment period lets employers retroactively fix plan modifications that inadvertently altered their tax status. Generally, employers have until the end of 2023 to make those changes for 2021 amendments. The required amendments pertain to individually designed retirement plans and 403(b) group annuity plans but exclude government-sponsored health and retirement benefits. Read more @Bloomberg...

How Staying Physically Active May Protect the Aging Brain

Staying physically active as we age substantially drops our risk of developing dementia during our lifetimes, and it doesn’t require prolonged exercise. Walking or moving about, rather than sitting, may be all it takes to help bolster the brain, and a new study of octogenarians from Chicago may help to explain why. The study, which tracked how often older people moved or sat and then looked deep inside their brains after they passed away, found that certain vital immune cells...

November 2021

India's fertility rate falls below replacement level. What it means.

India’s fertility rate falls below replacement level. What it means.

India's national Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen below 2.0 for the first time, as per the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS). The findings covered 11 states and three union territories that were not included in the first set of data released in December 2020. The latest set of findings of the NFHS 2019-21 survey released by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday revealed that the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime has dropped...