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<dcvalue element="type" qualifier="biblevel" language="es_ES">Sección o Parte de un Documento</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="date" qualifier="issued" language="es_ES">1995</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="language" qualifier="iso" language="es_ES">es</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="callnumber" qualifier="null" language="es_ES">382.3 B584L(58739)</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="contributor" qualifier="author" language="es_ES">Corden, W. Max</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="doctype" qualifier="null" language="es_ES">Coediciones</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="spanish" language="es_ES">NAFTA</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="coverage" qualifier="spatialspa" language="es_ES">AMERICA LATINA</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="spanish" language="es_ES">LIBERALIZACION DEL INTERCAMBIO</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="spanish" language="es_ES">NEGOCIACIONES COMERCIALES</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="spanish" language="es_ES">TRATADOS</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="spanish" language="es_ES">ZONAS DE LIBRE COMERCIO</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="english" language="es_ES">FREE TRADE AREAS</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="coverage" qualifier="spatialeng" language="es_ES">LATIN AMERICA</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="english" language="es_ES">TRADE LIBERALIZATION</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="english" language="es_ES">TRADE NEGOTIATIONS</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="english" language="es_ES">TREATIES</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="english" language="es_ES">NAFTA</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="title" qualifier="null" language="es_ES">Una zona de libre comercio en el Hemisferio Occidental: posibles implicancias para América Latina</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="description" qualifier="null" language="es_ES">Incluye Bibliografía</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="relation" qualifier="ispartof" language="es_ES">En: La liberalización del comercio en el Hemisferio Occidental - Washington, DC : BID/CEPAL, 1995 - p. 13-40</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="project" qualifier="null" language="es_ES">Proyecto Apoyo al Proceso de Liberalización Comercial en el Hemisferio Occidental</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="identifier" qualifier="uri" language="">http://hdl.handle.net/11362/1510</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="date" qualifier="accessioned" language="">2014-01-02T14:51:16Z</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="date" qualifier="available" language="">2014-01-02T14:51:16Z</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="description" qualifier="provenance" language="es_ES">Made available in DSpace on 2014-01-02T14:51:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0
  Previous issue date: 1995</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="topic" qualifier="spanish" language="es_ES">POLÍTICA COMERCIAL Y ACUERDOS COMERCIALES</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="topic" qualifier="english" language="es_ES">TRADE NEGOTIATIONS</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="workarea" qualifier="spanish" language="es_ES">COMERCIO INTERNACIONAL E INTEGRACIÓN</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="workarea" qualifier="english" language="es_ES">INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INTEGRATION</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="type" qualifier="null" language="es_ES">Texto</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="bodyfulltext">
CELADE, Population Division of ECLAC 

Number 4 - 2013

Turning Points in Argentina’s Ageing Future
2030: The end of the youth society
2013

2040

Population by Age Group
16

12

Millions

During the last century, young people have dominated Argentina’s
demographic scene during the last century. At its peak in 2000,
people under age 20 accounted for 37% of the population. But
this percentage has been declining, and the largest cohort of
Argentines has already been born, around 1993. The year 2030
will mark the end of the youth society in Argentina: young people
will no longer be the largest demographic group1. A large wave
is moving through Argentina’s population age structure as the
large cohorts born when high fertility was the norm advance
through their life cycle and move from youth to adulthood to
old age. The size of the working age groups will peak in 2043
for ages 20-39 and in 2064 for ages 40-59. The population of
older persons will increase rapidly throughout this century but
eventually stabilizes at approximately 16 million persons.

8
End of Youth
Society, 0-19 no
longer largest
age group

4

0
1950

1975

2000

2025

2050

2075

2100

2038: Argentina becomes an aged economy
2013

2040

Consumption by Children and Seniors
40
Children (0-19)

Percent of aggregate consumption

Argentina is expected to become an aged economy in 2038.
In that year, for the first time in the history of the country, older
persons will consume more (of all good and services, both public
and private) than youth2. Japan became the world’s first aged
economy in 1996. Currently, there are 19 aged economies, all
European economies with the exception of Japan. According to
the latest projections based on NTA, in 2040 there will be 73
aged economies, among them Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Cuba,
and Uruguay. By the end of this century, most of the world’s
economies will be aged economies, leading to an increased
demand for health care and other programs and services for
older persons. This will put pressure on governments, as many
of these programs are provided by the public sector, and on
families caring for older family members.

Seniors (60+)

30

20
Beginning of Aged
Economy, age 60+
consumes more
than 0-19

10

0
1950

1975

2000

2025

2050

2075

2100

2030: Most productive population
2013

1.0

Population age
distribution
concentrated at
ages of highest
labor productivity

Support
ratio
increases
by 2%

0.9

0.8
1950

1950: Fiscally-strongest population

1975

2000

2025

2050

2075

2100

2013

2040

Fiscal Support Ratio: Taxpayers / Beneficiaries
1.1
Relative to 2013 using 1996 NTA weights

Since 1950, with the exception of a brief respite during the
last 15 years, Argentina’s demography has created growing
fiscal pressures as the number of beneficiaries of public
programmes increased relative to the number of taxpayers.
The fiscal support ratio, the ratio of taxpayers to beneficiaries,
summarizes this trend4. This ratio reached its peak in 1950
when the age structure most strongly favoured taxpayers
relative to beneficiaries. The fiscal support ratio is projected
to decline continuously over the coming decades falling
below 0.8 taxpayers per beneficiary around 2100, relative
to a value of 1 in 2013. Demographic trends in the coming
decades will significantly contribute to the fiscal challenges
Argentina will face.

2040

Support Ratio: Producers / Consumers

1.1
Relative to 2013 using 1996 NTA weights

The age structure of a population affects the economy by
changing the distribution of people in ages of high labour
productivity relative to their consumption. If the current age
patterns of production and consumption persist, the age
distribution will continue to favour producers in relation to
consumers during the coming decades reflected in the
increase of the economic support ratio3 until 2030. This
situation represents a potential “demographic dividend”
– a surplus generated by the economy that, if invested in
health, education, and infrastructure, can move the economy
permanently to a path of higher production, consumption and
living standards. However, beginning in 2030, it is projected
that the economic support ratio will decline steadily as the
percentage of older persons in the population increases.
This new situation will pose increasing economic challenges
for Argentina.

1.0

0.9

Population age
distribution favors
taxpayers over
beneficiaries

0.8

Fiscal
support
ratio
declines
by 4%

0.7
1950

1975

2000

2025

2050

2075

2100

About the National Transfer Account (NTA) Network
The NTA Network brings together researchers from different regions of the world using a new methodology: National Transfer Accounts. NTAs
provide a new vision of economic relationships between groups in a national economy: between young and old, between men and women,
between rich and poor. For the first time, we can measure the complete set of economic flows between these population groups and determine
the roles played by the market (via labour and financial markets), the state (via taxes and benefits), and the family (via transfers within and
between households) in defining these economic relationships. The NTAs represent a disaggregation of National Accounts by age, gender,
and socioeconomic status. Applying the same NTA framework in all the countries in the NTA network allows for international comparisons of
consumption, labour earnings, taxation, savings and other economic flows by age, gender and socioeconomic status. CELADE – the Population
Division of ECLAC is responsible for the regional coordination of the NTA Network in Latin America and the Caribbean.
See [online] www.cepal.org/celade/NTA for more information about this document and the NTA network in the region, and www.ntaccounts.
org to learn about the global project.

Policy options for the ageing future
Although policy interventions aimed
at delaying population ageing by
promoting immigration or increasing
fertility can have some effect, their
impact tends to be very limited.
In order to effectively confront the
economic challenges of population
ageing, policies should focus mainly
on economic and social factors.
Three illustrative scenarios that
examine policy options for Argentina’s
ageing future are presented in
this section. The first reviews the
impact of extending working lives,
the second explores closing the
gender gap in labour earnings, and

the third examines raising taxes. The
scenarios are all population-driven
in that they reflect policies adopted
to respond to changes in population
age structure. Once the age structure
of the population completes its
transformation from a child-dominated
population to a senior-dominated
population (towards the end of the
this century), the economic impacts of
these policy options also end.
The scenarios are based on several
simplifying assumptions in order to
assess the sustainability of current
policies and practices as measured
by the economic support ratio and

the fiscal support ratio. They assume
no changes in the levels of coverage
and benefits of public services. Each
scenario evaluates one policy option.
Logically, countries have an array of
different policy options available to
them. These options are not mutually
exclusive and usually a mix of options
form the basis of national policy. The
estimates generated in the context
of the NTA project which examine
economic activity by age, gender,
and socioeconomic status provide a
rich source of information for further
analysis of these and other national
policy options.

Delay retirement to maintain productivity
Years of Retirement Delay
10

2040

2013

Years of retirement delay to maintain 2013 support ratio

One way to counteract the effects of population ageing on
productivity is to induce people to extend their working lives
and delay retirement. In Argentina’s case, the short-run forecast
for productivity is positive and under the assumptions of this
exercise, the economic support ratio will increase a modest
2% by 2040 – with no change in working lives or delay in
retirement5. Looking at a longer-term horizon, however, the
impact of population strengthens and delays in retirement would
be needed to counteract the impact of population ageing. The
option to extend working lives may be reasonable in a context of
increasing healthy life expectancy and social protection policies
aimed at supporting those for whom the delay in retirement
would be an undue hardship. If this were the only policy option
used, it would require about 5 years of additional working years
to maintain population productivity at current levels. Over this
same period, life expectancy at birth is projected to increase by
about 9 years.

8

By 2092, must raise
retirement age by an
average of 5 years to
maintain 2013
productivity

6
No need to delay
average
retirement to
maintain 2013
productivity until
2040

4

2

0
2000

2025

2050

2075

2100

Labor Income Gender Gap
70

2040

2013

In Argentina, women in the most productive working ages
(between 30 and 49) only bring home 52% of what men earn.
This gap reflects lower labour force participation of women, fewer
hours of work per week, and lower wages per hour worked. Many
women specialize in home production, performing unpaid work
that benefits the family and the productivity of other workers in the
family. From the perspective of the national economy, however,
overall productivity would increase if women’s participation in
the formal labour market were closer to that of men. Reducing
the 2013 gender gap in labour earnings by increasing labour
earnings of women from 52% to 68% of what men earn would
completely counteract the negative impact of population ageing
on economic productivity during this century6. Measures to
close the gender gap, such as (1) investing in women and
girls’ education, (2) instituting family leave policies that support
working mothers, and (3) fighting gender discrimination in the
workplace are a key set of policy options to maintain the support
ratio in the face of population ageing.

Female income as a percentage of male to maintain 2013 fiscal support ratio

Close the gender gap to maintain productivity

65

Gender
convergence in
income not
necessary to
maintain the
2013 support
ratio until 2040

60

55

Bringing womens
income to 68% of
mens eliminates
the productivity
impact of
population aging

50
2000

2025

2050

2075

2100

Increase taxes to maintain fiscal balance

2040

2013

Percent increase in taxes relative to 2013 to maintain 2013
fiscal support ratio

The fiscal support ratio forecast showed that, based on
current tax and benefit programs, population ageing will
quickly strain Argentina’s public finances. One way to solve
this problem is to raise taxes to meet the growing demand
for public programs, such as pensions and health care
programs for older persons. If the tax increase were the
only policy change implemented, a modest tax increase of
5% would be needed to maintain the current fiscal balance
through 20407. In the longer term, the tax increase necessary
to offset the full impact of populating ageing on government
budgets rises to 27%.

Tax Increase
30

Raise taxes by
5% to maintain
2013 fiscal
balance until
2040

20

Ultimately, taxes
would have to rise by
27% relative to 2013
to support public
services for the aged
population

10

0
2000

2025

2050

2075

Notes on Data and Methods:


Data for the analysis were taken from Pablo Comelatto, “NTA Data for Argentina, 1997”, National Transfer Accounts Project, 2012.



For detailed methodological information, see Gretchen Donehower (2013), “Methods used for estimations for Ageing Futures Series”,
NTA Project, [online] www.cepal.org/celade/NTA.

1

 Population estimates and projections were obtained from United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, [online]
http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Excel-Data/ population.htm.

2

 We estimate and project aggregate consumption (public and private goods and services) by multiplying the NTA estimate of average
consumption by age for 1997 by the population age structure in each year over the period 1950-2100. Details on the NTA estimates for
Argentina in 1997 are available in Pablo Comelatto (2012), “Technical report to CELADE on NTA estimates for Argentina 1997”.

3

 The economic support ratio is the ratio of the sum of the population by age, weighting each age by average labour earnings estimated
from the NTA, and the sum of the population by age, weighting each age by average consumption estimated from the NTA. The
calculation assumes that the patterns of labour income and consumption by age remain fixed at their 1997 levels, and that only the size
and age distribution of the population changes.

4

 The fiscal support ratio is calculated in the same way as the economic support ratio (see note 3), but the numerator is weighted by
average taxes paid by age and the denominator is weighted by average benefits received by age. This is a useful and easy to calculate
indicator. Using data derived from the NTA, it is possible to obtain more realistic long-term budget forecasts.

5

 The analysis is based on calculating the economic support ratio. If the support ratio falls below the 2013 level, the labour income
schedule by age is shifted to the right, from the point of peak labour income, representing a delay in average retirement by one year,
until the support ratio is at or above the 2013 level.

6

 The gender gap is measured using data on labour force participation, hours worked and average wage by gender from Socio-Economic
Database for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEDLAS and The World Bank), (see [online] http://sedlac.econo.unlp.edu.ar/eng/
statistics-by-gender.php access in December 2012). The analysis involves calculating the reduction in the gender gap necessary to
maintain the economic support ratio at its 2013 level.

7

 The tax rate increase necessary to maintain the fiscal support ratio at 2013 levels is the inverse of the fiscal support ratio.

This document was prepared by Gretchen Donehower, consultant for the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE) – Population
Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), under the supervision of Paulo Saad, Chief of the Population and
Development Section, and Tim Miller, Population Affairs Officer of the same division. The study was developed as part of the project on “Population aging
and development: National Transfer Accounts in Latin America and the Caribbean”, funded by the International Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada.
Additional funding was provided by the Centre for Economics and Demography Aging, University of California, Berkeley.
The opinions expressed in this document, which has been reproduced without formal editing, are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Organization.

2100


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