Population ageing is straining public debt

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie sits
down with Bruegel Senior fellow Zsolt Darvas and Jennifer D.
Sciubba, President and CEO of the Population Reference Bureau
from Washington DC. Together, they explore the findings of
Darvas’ recent paper on the effects of demographic changes on
public debt sustainability, which was presented at the informal
Meeting of Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers on 14
September 2024. Darvas pointed out that countries will have to
devote a much larger share of their budget for paying for
pensions and health care and elderly care, and fiscal adjustments
might not be enough to cover these. Sciubba emphasizes the
urgency for policymakers to acknowledge the change in
demographics and work toward actionable solutions.