March 2026

The World Is Ageing—What Are the Macroeconomic Implications?

Traditionally, economists and policymakers have focused on a fairly fixed set of determinants of economic growth, such as investment, consumption, unemployment and trade. More recently, however, the powerful, long-term theme of population ageing has steadily moved to the forefront of macroeconomic thought. From Japan to the United States, and from Europe to China, birth rates have fallen below replacement levels while life expectancy has continued to rise, leading countries to experience an expanding share of older citizens relative to...

February 2025

Could Retirement Finance Reform Reboot the European Economy?

The European Union is grappling with two interlinked crises that threaten its long-term economic stability: a severe shortfall in risk capital and an impending pension crisis exacerbated by demographic aging. Recent reports by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta have sounded the alarm on the EU’s moribund growth prospects, highlighting a critical lack of investment liquidity for innovation and infrastructure. At the same time, Europe’s dominant pay-as-you-go pension systems are in an actuarial death spiral as the working-age population shrinks...

January 2025

NIRS’ Pensionomics 2025 Report

By Andrew Clark Earlier this month, the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) released its bi-annual Pensionomics report, which details how spending from defined-benefit pensions boosts economies in communities nationwide and continues to be a reliable economic driver for millions of people. The report examines the impact of pensions on local economies nationwide by calculating the benefits paid to retirees and the subsequent spending generated by these benefits. This analysis includes tax revenue and local expenditures, which stimulate the broader economy, leading...

June 2024

6 Longevity Economy Principles – The World Economic Forum Weighs In

In an era where global life expectancy continues to rise, fertility falls and countries are shrinking demographically, the World Economic Forum’s new Longevity Economy Principles are not just timely—they're essential. These principles are designed not just to navigate the challenges ahead, but also to get prepared to seize the opportunities presented by a new era of longevity and generational rebalancing. In the next society, both countries and companies will want to ensure three inter-related foundational skills for their populations and workforces:...

August 2023

Care Economy and Gender-Transformative Social Protection in India and the G20 Countries

By taking a gender-transformative and a rights-based entitlement approach, this Policy Brief stresses the importance of investing in the care economy within the context of COVID-19 recovery plans, the G20 agenda of striving for just and equitable growth, and India’s Vision 2047. Ensuring greater gender equality in the distribution of paid and unpaid work can be socially transformative and enhance gross domestic product. This Brief explores inequality within the care economy in India, specifically focusing on the unpaid care...