Presentation of the World Bank report entitled "From Red to Gray. The 'Third Transition' of Aging Populations in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union"
Title: Presentation of the World Bank report entitled
From Red to Gray. The "Third Transition" of Aging Populations in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union
Panelists:
Mukesh Chawla - co-author of the report, the World Bank
Stanisława Golinowska - CASE - Center for Social and Economic Research
Marek Góra - Warsaw School of Economics
Venue: World Bank Office in Poland
Warszawskie Centrum Finansowe, 9th floor
Emilii Plater 53 Str., Warsaw
Organizers:
The World Bank Office in Poland
CASE - Center for Social and Economic Research
Seminar open to the public.
Please, confirm your participation by 25 June
e-mail: jwojciechowicz@worldbank.org or telephone + 48 22 520 80 00
Contact for media: Ms. Paulina Szyrmer, PR Specialist + 48 22 622 66 27 e-mail: paulina.szyrmer@case.com.pl
Languages:
English and Polish (translation provided)
About the report:
From Red to Gray looks at the challenges facing the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union because of aging. In 2025 one in five Poles will be more than 65 years old-up. Ukraine's population will shrink by a fifth between the years 2000 and 2025. And the average Slovene will be 47.4 years old in 2025 - among the oldest in the world. This demographic transition is the "third transition" for these countries after the political and economic transitions of the past 20 years. While all aging societies run the risks of slower growth and unsustainable fiscal burdens, it is these overlapping transitions that make aging in the region unique. While the challenges are formidable, the authors argue that doomsday scenarios are not inevitable the only dangers lie in complacency and inaction. The analysis presents policies to address the potential slowdown in growth in these economies such as increasing low levels of labor force participation, deepening financial markets, and, most importantly, increasing productivity. It also puts forward reforms needed to manage rapid increases in public spending on old-age pensions and health care from transforming pension systems that are generous but cover fewer and fewer workers to urgently planning for the provision of long-term care for the aged.
