Athens, Greece – Dr. Wolfgang Fengler, CEO of World Data Lab, delivered a keynote address at the Third Demographic Summit, “Handling the Demographic Emergency – The Role of Science, Governments and Citizens.” Organized by The Economist Impact Events for Greece, Cyprus, Malta, & SE Europe, the summit convened experts like Sarah Harper, Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Aging, and Adonis Georgiadis, Greece’s Minister of Health, to address the critical challenges of global demographic shifts.
Dr Fengler’s talk “Demography Does not Need to be Greece’s Destiny” addresses critical issues at the heart of the demographic debate. Greece has been part of a broader global trend of ageing. In a worldwide population of 8 billion people, the number of older adults—those aged 50 and over— has surpassed the number of children under 15 for the first time. Though the global population is growing, population growth today is driven by the falling mortality of adults and not by high fertility.
Due to demographic changes, Greece’s working-age population will decline from 8 million to 6 million by 2050.
However, this is not a ‘doomsday’ scenario. While the working-age population is shrinking, we can find new workers- through education, higher labour force participation of women, having more people aged 50+ work, immigration, and increasing working hours.
Reflecting on this issue, Dr. Fengler states, “Demography does not need to be destiny. Greece can thrive if it unleashes the potential of its young people. By fostering innovation and embracing change, we can turn demographic challenges into opportunities for growth and renewal.”
For more information about the event and World Data Lab’s involvement, please contact Anne Mason anne.mason@worlddata.io
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About World Data Lab
World Data Lab (WDL) is an innovative data analytics organization specializing in providing actionable insights based on comprehensive economic, demographic, and market data. World Data Lab aims to make data-driven decision-making accessible to leaders and organizations around the world, thereby contributing to sustainable and inclusive global development.
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