Will population ageing spell the end of the welfare state? A review of evidence and policy options (2019)

This brief serves as an overview and introduction to the Economics of Healthy and Active Ageing series. It reviews the main evidence on the health and long-term care costs associated with ageing populations to better understand the expected cost pressures due to changing demographics. At the same time, the brief explores how older populations can and do contribute meaningfully both in economic and societal terms, particularly if they are able to remain healthy and active into later life. The brief concludes by reviewing selected policy areas that have been shown to either support the health and activity of older people or which otherwise reinforce sustainable care systems more broadly in the context of population ageing.