The ratio of elderly persons to the working age population will dramatically increase in coming years in many parts of the world. With a declining labor force, an ageing population and looming health care and pension benefits, employers will play a critical role in shaping public policy and addressing these concerns. 

The World Economic Forum, in partnership with Mercer, has just published “The Future of Pensions and Healthcare in a Rapidly Ageing World: Scenarios to 2030”.

The report addresses important questions such as:

The full report is available on the World Economic Forum  web site.

Drawing upon the insights and analyses offered by the World Economic Forum, Mercer has published a Perspective  in which leading experts draw upon practical experience consulting in four areas affected by an ageing population – pension plan design, Defined Benefit plans and action steps for employers, health care planning, and workforce planning. These perspectives can also be accessed directly from the links below as can our press release.

Mercer Perspective

The Future of Pensions and Healthcare in a Rapidly Ageing World: Scenarios to 2030

This article provides an overview of the World Economic Forum’s report, in partnership with Mercer, on an ageing society, the impact on pensions and health care provision and the implications for businesses and societies worldwide.

Written by the World Economic Forum's Associate Directors, Bernd Jan Sikken, Chiemi Hayashi, Nicholas Davis – and Heli Olkkonen, Mercer Principal, seconded to the World Economic Forum.

 Heli Olkkonen   Bernd Jan Sikken    Chiemi Hayashi    Nicholas Davis

Pension plan design: Implications of an ageing population

   
Here we look at the World Economic Forum’s scenario approach to pension systems, which allows companies to model the impacts of an ageing population on pension and health care and to consider the potential features of future pension systems under each of the Forum’s three scenarios.

 Ben Facer

DB plans and an ageing population: Implications and action steps for employers  

In this article, the authors adopt the perspective of a multinational sponsor of (Defined Benefit) DB plans and reflects on the potential consequences of each of the Forum’s three scenarios for financing and managing these plans.

 Mick Moloney    Bob Moreen 

Global impact: Healthcare planning for an ageing world

  
This article tracks the impact of the macro forces identified by the Forum’s report on the future health of the global workforce, on companies’ financial health and on global economic growth.

  Christine Owen  

Labor pains: Planning for the future with an ageing workforce  

Businesses worldwide face many challenges as they try to shape a future workforce that will fit their needs. Here we look at how companies can meet these challenges and prepare for the future by using workforce planning.

  Jay Doherty 

Read our Press Release

www.mercer.com/ageingpopulation