Policy Responses to Aging and Declining Populations
SUP 210
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
Around the world, increasing longevity and declining fertility are making populations much older than they used to be, and fertility is now below the long-term replacement rate in most countries, so populations will decline—an unprecedented development in modern times. This demographic revolution will have significant effects on economic growth, government budgets, healthcare costs, retirement planning, workforce and investment needs, wages and interest rates, geopolitics, and other aspects of our economies and societies. The course explores these changes and the practical ways in which public policy can respond, including potential approaches for raising labor force participation at different life stages, altering government spending and taxes, accommodating different housing and care needs, increasing fertility, extending healthy lifespans, deploying new technologies, and adjusting immigration rules. Through active student participation, we explore the diversity of demographic changes and policy responses taking place across the globe.
Recommended Prep
Previous exposure to economics is helpful but not required.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
