Politics
Thursday July 22, 2004
Germany Acknowledges Impending Pension System Collapse from Low Population
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
WITTENBERGE, July 22, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - German officials are waking up to the realization that their current pension system is headed for imminent collapse. The present demographic trend reveals that, by 2050, more then half the population will be age 65 or older.
Although the trend is uniform across Europe, Germans may feel the pinch most, because of their highly state-funded pension system. Compared to other countries such as the UK, pensioners in Germany receive twice as much money from the public purse as their British counterparts.
In order to maintain the pension system, there must be at least four working-age people for every three retirees -- by 2035 every worker will support one retired person.
Pensions in Germany have been frozen for the first time -- a trend met with public protest. Officials are agitating that an increased burden of the pension responsibility be placed on the private sector.
News headlines covering the issue are increasingly common. Germany's best-selling book, Das Methusalem-Komplott (The Methuselah Conspiracy), highlights the grim economic reality that faces the country's aging population.
Read BBC coverage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/3910821.stm
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Most Major Industrial Countries Unprepared for Coming Population Ageing Crisis and Labour Shortage
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jan/04012801.html
Low Birthrates Causing European Pension Funds to Run Out
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jul/03070404.html
tv
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- Cardinal Rigali: You Can't Claim to be "Reducing Abortions" but Publicly Funding them in D.C.
- General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase out Lab Rats
- Ohio Supreme Court Allows Planned Parenthood to Conceal Abortion Records in Sexual Abuse Case
- LifeSiteNews Canada Day and Independence Day Message. Taking a few days off. LSN returns Monday July 6
- Heroically Pro-Life Brazilian Archbishop's Resignation Accepted Under Cloud of Vatican Newspaper Misrepresentation
- Pro-Life Groups Announce New Colorado Personhood Initiative
- Judge Puts Kibosh on DC Gay "Marriage" Referendum
- Al Franken Win Hands Supermajority to Senate Democrats
- Group Funded by Canadian Bishops' D&P Joins with Others to Denounce the "Natural Family" and "Family Rights"
- Financially Troubled Planned Parenthood of El Paso Closes Doors
- Abortion Linked to Subsequent Pre-Term Births, New Research Again Confirms
- New Orleans Homosexual Couple Ask Fed. Court to Overturn Marriage Amendment
- Slim Hope Of New Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Promoting Pro-Life, Pro-Family Issues
- Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop Caught Involved in Homosexual Encounters
- Young Children Removed from UK Schools for "Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour"
- Northern Ireland Politician Cleared of Wrongdoing after Reiterating Christian Teaching on Homosexual Acts
- UK Conservative Leader Speaks at Gay Pride Fundraiser
- More Letters to the Editor on Canadian Catholic Development and Peace Scandal (July 1)
- Letters to the Editor - Readers Respond to Development and Peace Scandal
- Watch This Dramatic New Video on Catholic Bishops Conference Funding of Pro-Abortion Groups
Most Read this Week
- Homosexual Duke U. Director Charged with Offering Adopted 5-Year-Old for Sex
- Famed Fr. Corapi Calls Canadian Bishops' Dissent from Humanae Vitae "Catastrophic"
- Pope: It is a Childish Faith to Oppose the Church Teaching on Life and Family
- LifeSiteNews Detailed Response to Canadian Bishops' Whitewash Report on Development and Peace
- Heroically Pro-Life Brazilian Archbishop's Resignation Accepted Under Cloud of Vatican Newspaper Misrepresentation
- Young Children Removed from UK Schools for "Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour"
- Is Pro-Choice the New Pro-Life?
- General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase Out Lab Rats
- Swedish Parents Won't Tell if Child is Boy or Girl as Gender Experiment
- Cardinal Rigali: You Can't Claim to be "Reducing Abortions" but Publicly Funding them in D.C.
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.