“The solution is simple”…“have more children”
UNITED NATIONS, April 10, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Anna Diamantopoulou, Commissioner responsible for Employment and Social Affairs of the European Commission addressed the Second World Assembly on Ageing Monday urging an end to low birth rates. Diamantopoulou, also the President of the International Federation of Ageing, a non-governmental organization, noted “alarming” statistics which show especially in Europe “one person in three will be at least 60 years old by 2050.”
She described the aging problem as one which “has major social and economic implications.” Adding, “But what we are primarily facing is the failure or reluctance to address two major problems—we are failing to replace our populations, with low birth rates causing widespread demographic distortions, and we are encouraging people to have shorter working lives, just at the time when they are ready to take more responsibilities.” The solution is simple, suggests Diamantopoulou – have more children. Or as she puts it, “The policy implications are clear. We need to bring our populations back into balance.”
See the UN release on the meeting: https://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/SOC4605.doc.htm