This report analyses the components of economic growth in 21 APEC economies in the past 25 years and the next 35. Written to contribute to discussions at APEC Senior Officials’ meetings in the run up to APEC ministerial and leaders meetings, it highlights the critical role played by population ageing and discusses relevant policy interventions.

This volume provides evidence from many of Australia’s leading scholars from a range of social science disciplines to support policies that address challenges presented by Australia’s ageing population. It builds on presentations made to the 2014 Symposium of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

While Asia's population is expected to increase by one billion people in the next thirty years, the significant demographic story is the change in its age structure.

The fiscal challenges of population ageing can be tackled in a number of ways. These include investing in capital and productivity of the smaller workforce, greater saving for retirement, higher migration, an active population policy, reducing benefits for the old, and/or encouraging and enabling them to work longer. This briefing focuses on the latter.