Demographic change in Europe

The foreseeable demographic stagnation of Europe and also Switzerland is starting to become apparent and will make it increasingly difficult to guarantee an enduring increase in living standards and economic prosperity. However, that does not mean that Europe is virtually condemned to become a grandiose retirement home.

From the point of view of economic performance, Europe can counter these demographic challenges, by, for instance, harnessing the potential of its health advantage versus other competing regions and so open up new reserves of productivity. To “activate” human capital as a sustainable driver for productivity, economic performance and subsequently a nation’s wealth requires fundamental and unprecedented changes in attitude and in the way in which Europeans want to live in the future

The first step to reaching this decision is to initiate broad public discussion regarding the question: What will happen if nothing is done?

• Demographic Shifts in EU 27, Norway and Switzerland: Population and Dependency Ratio Forecasts until 2030
  (M. Trippel & H. Groth, The WDA-HSG Discussion Paper on Demographic Issues,2011)
• Healthy old Europe.
  (H. Groth & N. Eberstadt, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2007)
• Die Gesundheit ist Europas Trumpfkarte. Mit der Aktivierung der fitten Alten gegen die Wachstumsschwäche.
  (H. Groth & N. Eberstadt, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 26.04.2007)
• Europe's Coming Demographic Challenge: Unlocking the Value of Health.
  (H. Groth & N. Eberstadt, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 2007)