The Coming Collapse in Eastern Europe's Worker-to-Retiree Ratio


 
Fertility rates across eastern Europe have been in decline for many decades. This is causing a collapse in working-age populations across the region. Simultaneously, retirees are living longer and forming an ever-larger portion of these post-Soviet populations. These factors are causing an extraordinary decline in the number of working-age people available to support the expanding number of retirees.

Number of Working-Age People to each Dependent (65+) Across Eastern Europe
The working-age population represents those aged 15 to 64. Period: 1950-2050.
The Coming Collapse in Eastern Europe




Note: The chart data uses the UN Statistical Division’s definition of Eastern Europe, including: Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Czechia, Hungary, Belarus, Bulgaria, Slovak Republic and Moldova.

In 1950, the average eastern European retiree was supported by over 10 people of working age. By 2050, it is projected that there will be only 2 workers to support each retiree. Moreover, the fast-expanding 65+, mostly-retired cohort will inevitably be an increasing cost to Governments. Adding to this already nightmarish equation is the fact that, of the working-age population, a significant portion will be out of the workforce due to illness, unemployment or other reasons. So, these figures overstate the number of workers available to support retirees today. Consequently, an unprecedented and unsustainable tax burden is emerging in eastern Europe.


More for subscribers:  
See more...The Alarming Cost of Aging Demographics
See more...See more data for Euope...
See more...See more Fertility Rate data...
See more...See more 'Number of Workers to Each Elderly Dependent' data...



More perspectives using World Economics data

WARNING: Don't Trust Official GDP Data
WARNING: Don
Organisations of many kinds use GDP data. Governments, Non Governmental Organisations, Civil Societies, Businesses and a thousand others trust "official" economic data and use it as if it were holy writ. Highly regarded companies like global consultants McKinsey produce lists of the fastest growing countries to admire and perhaps invest in. Government aid is distributed, product plans put together, an...
When America Becomes No 3
When America Becomes No 3
China's GDP is already significantly larger than US GDP. India is likely to overtake the US within a decade, making the USA no 3 in the world. China's GDP will be about twice that of the US, and India's is likely to be about 30% larger than today. A very different new world is developing much faster than most investors understand. These statements are based on measuring GDP in Purchasing Power Par...
India Contributed Over 16% of Global GDP Growth in the Past Decade
India Contributed Over 16% of Global GDP Growth in the Past Decade
Growth has strongly outperformed the Asia-Pacific region and Emerging Markets in the past 25 years. Real GDP in India has surged by 404% over the last twenty-five years contributing 16.1% of global output growth since 2015. This has pushed India’s share of the world output to over 11.3% making it the third-largest economy by size. In the last ten years, the country’s cumulative annual average real gr...