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Discussion QuestionsUse the questions below to structure a discussion on the promise and peril of population and demographic trends. We offer some suggested sources to complement your consideration of these important issues. 1) What difficulties—from retiring baby boomers in the U.S. to a graying China, to the massive overhang of Europe’s elderly—can private corporations, governments, and other sectors expect as the aging revolution unfolds across the globe? How will changing demographics impact workforce composition? Retirement age? Pension outlays? Taxation? Immigration? Economic growth? How can governments, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations work together to address these issues?2) Immigration already accounts for over sixty percent of population growth in developed countries. Do you believe that governments in developed countries are ready to deal with the massive immigration that will accompany, in many cases, a sharply decreasing number of citizens? What recent world events encourage pessimism or optimism in this regard? 3) According to the United Nations Population Division, by 2050, the four most populous countries will be India, China, the United States and Pakistan. [18] What will this mean for the geopolitical balance of power? Pakistan is a prime example of the overarching global trend of the highest population growth occurring in those countries with the lowest prospects for economic development, the most dire resource scarcities, the most daunting public health challenges, and the least transparent and effective systems of governance. What will be the impact of this population growth in terms of global stability and security? Bibliographic Materials from CSISVisit the CSIS Global Aging Initiative to learn more about the international economic, financial, political, and security implications of aging and depopulation. Learn more about how global aging will affect Eastern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and South Asia in the decades to come. Visit the Global Strategy Institute's Video Interview Library for an interview with Richard Jackson, director of the CSIS Global Aging Initiative, on demographic trends. Web ResourcesThe United Nations Population Division is the standard reference tool for global population figures as well as analysis on demographic trends. The Population Reference Bureau provides detailed articles, datasheets, and reports on key population issues including mortality rates, gender, race/ethnicity, and fertility. PRB also offers specific country data. Further ReadingCarl Haub. “Tracking Trends in Low-Fertility Countries: An Uptick for Europe.” Population Reference Bureau. September 2008. http://www.prb.org/Articles/2008/tfrtrendsept08.aspx. Richard Cincotta, Robert Engelman and Daniele Anastasion. “The Security Demographic: Population and Civil Conflict After the Cold War.” Population Action International. August 2003. http://www.populationaction.org/Publications/Reports/The_Security_Demographic/Summary.shtml . Richard Jackson and Rebecca Strauss. “The Geopolitics of World Population Change.” CSIS Commentary. July 2007. http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/070710_jackson_commentary.pdf.
United Nations Population Fund. State of the World Populations 2007: Unleashing the Potential for Urban Growth.. New York: UN Press, 2007. http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/695_filename_sowp2007_eng.pdf. |