Addressing the economic impact of demographic change

Population age structures are changing all over the world, with fewer children and more old people than in the past. Analysis of these demographic changes and their likely consequences can help policymakers develop sustainable programs in areas of healthcare, education, and pensions as well as policies that foster economic growth and equity among generations and age groups.

The National Transfer Accounts (NTA) project addresses the impact of demographic change on economic growth, inequality, public finances, and the economic resources available to children and the elderly. By providing estimates of income, consumption, saving, and other resource flows for each age group, NTA adds an important dimension to measures of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and other widely used indicators that are critical for formulating economic policy.

The project includes research teams in more than 40 countries around the world. Core activities are based at the East-West Center and the Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging at the University of California, Berkeley. Activities are described on the project website at http://www.ntaccounts.org.

In 2011, the NTA project initiated the NTA Bulletin, a series of short publications that summarize the results of NTA research for a broad policy audience.