Political economy Archives - Pension Policy International

30MarMarch 30, 2026

Iran war forces Asian economies to confront sliding currencies and surging oil

Policymakers in the Asia-Pacific region are facing their toughest test since the Covid-19 pandemic, with few easy options, as they race to cushion their economies from an energy shock that is hitting harder and sooner than elsewhere. Asia buys about 80 per cent of the oil that is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz and, according to JPMorgan commodity analysts, it faces shortages that will worsen through April and May – meaning authorities will need to respond swiftly. In Manila, drivers...

March 30, 2026

NewsAsia, Political economy

23DecDecember 23, 2025

Why is inequality so high in Latin America? An interview with Francisco H. G. Ferreira

Economic inequality in Latin America has historically been – and is currently – higher than in much of the rest of the world. For a time, it seemed that large pro-poor programmes, particularly conditional cash transfers (CCTs) – conditional mainly on attending schools and health visits – made some dent on inequality. Such CCTs were pioneered in Mexico, though it has now discontinued that policy, and have been pursued in a major way in Brazil, Colombia, Chile and elsewhere....

December 23, 2025

News2025, Equality, Latin America, Political economy

16DecDecember 16, 2025

US. Retirement Accounts Are The Country’s Emergency Funds

The Charade That “Retirement” Accounts Are For Retirement It’s time we stop the charade. Congress should rename 401(k)s and IRAs what they really are: "Emergency Savings Accounts for the Poor and Middle Class." Because that’s how they function for the bottom 90% of American workers. A new Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) report confirms what retirement experts have long understood: Americans are draining their 401(k)s to survive today, sacrificing tomorrow's security. The study reveals where borrowed retirement dollars actually go—not toward...

December 16, 2025

NewsPolitical economy, savings, US

05DecDecember 5, 2025

Trump said he’s looking into an Australian-style retirement program for the U.S.

The Trump administration is looking Down Under for inspiration on how to improve the United States’ retirement savings system. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said at the White House that his administration is looking into an Australian-style retirement program. “We’re looking at it very seriously,” Trump said. “It’s a good plan. It’s worked out very well.” Australia’s primary retirement savings program — known as “superannuation” — might have caught the attention of Washington officials. How superannuation works Superannuation, or “super” for short, is Australia’s...

December 5, 2025

NewsAging, Political economy

04DecDecember 4, 2025

Is the world ageing out of interest rates?

From global rate hikes to political pressures, central banks can’t stay out of the news these days. But these headlines overlook a growing challenge for central banks: With the share of the population aged 65 or over set to nearly double by 2054, their policy tools may become less effective. Interest rates have long been a key instrument of monetary policy, used much like car pedals, with cuts made to accelerate economic activity and hikes to slow it down. Historically,...

December 4, 2025

NewsAging, Political economy

14NovNovember 14, 2025

Italy, France and Belgium carry most worrying debts in EU, top bank says

Italy, France and Belgium have the most concerning debt-sustainability outlooks in the EU, according to the latest study published by the National Bank of Belgium. The analysis published today found that Italy, France and Belgium are the most fragile economies in Europe when it comes to government debt. They already carry some of the heaviest debt loads in the European Union, and their problems are made worse by rapid population ageing and rising pension costs. Koen De Leus, chief economist at BNP...

November 14, 2025

NewsAging, Defined Benefit, Defined Contribution, Political economy, System sustainability

10NovNovember 10, 2025

UK. Radical reforms to State Pension system proposed as government battles rising bills – Steve Webb

Experts at pension consultancy LCP specialising in State Pension policy and in demographic trends have joined forces to recommend major changes to the State Pension system. LCP’s ideas have been fed into the Government’s review of the State Pension Age, and would help to square the circle between the need to increase pension ages and the need to avoid penalising those whose life expectancy is much lower than average. One key measure used by the Government to assess the sustainability...

November 10, 2025

NewsEquality, Japan, Political economy

06NovNovember 6, 2025

Japan’s welfare crackdown targets foreign residents over unpaid pensions, health insurance

As Japan’s social contract comes under strain, Sanae Takaichi is moving swiftly on a campaign promise to make foreign residents shoulder their fair share of the health and pensions burden. The proposed reforms, set in motion just weeks after Takaichi’s historic appointment as the country’s first female prime minister, aim to address mounting public concern about inequality and the sustainability of its ageing welfare state. At her first ministerial meeting dedicated to issues regarding foreign nationals, Takaichi on Tuesday directed cabinet...

November 6, 2025

NewsEquality, Japan, Political economy

08OctOctober 8, 2025

The U.S.-Born labor force will shrink over the next decade

By Josh Bivens It is often underrecognized how much population aging is currently reducing the growth rate of the U.S. labor force and will continue to pull it down in coming decades. The share of the population that is over the age of 65 (when labor force participation tends to take a steep fall on average) is rising rapidly. This share was 12.4% in 2007, 17.9% in 2024, and will hit 21.2% by 2035 (CBO 2025b). A recent EPI report...

October 8, 2025

Articles, Labor Market2025, Aging, Labor Market, Migration, Political economy

11AugAugust 11, 2025

China’s consumption weighed down by weak expectations

China’s economy registered a respectable GDP growth rate of 5.3 per cent in the first half of 2025. Despite US President Donald Trump’s tariff war, China’s exports grew by 7.3 per cent and contributed more than one-third of the first half of the year’s growth. But domestic demand remains weak and prices are still falling. The conventional wisdom identifies weak consumption as the culprit. The Chinese authorities have prioritised boosting household consumption. A 200 billion RMB (US$28 billion) programme was...

August 11, 2025

NewsChina, Political economy

March 2026

Iran war forces Asian economies to confront sliding currencies and surging oil

December 2025

Why is inequality so high in Latin America? An interview with Francisco H. G. Ferreira

US. Retirement Accounts Are The Country’s Emergency Funds

Trump said he’s looking into an Australian-style retirement program for the U.S.

Is the world ageing out of interest rates?

November 2025

Italy, France and Belgium carry most worrying debts in EU, top bank says

UK. Radical reforms to State Pension system proposed as government battles rising bills – Steve Webb

Japan’s welfare crackdown targets foreign residents over unpaid pensions, health insurance

October 2025

The U.S.-Born labor force will shrink over the next decade

August 2025

China’s consumption weighed down by weak expectations