UNITED NATIONS, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The growth of the working-age population is creating "demographic dividend" for economic growth in some regions, according to a United Nations report released here on Monday.
The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights, published by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said in most of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, reductions in fertility have caused the growth.
The percentage of the working-age population in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to rise for several decades, from 35 percent in 2019 to 43 percent in 2050 and to 50 percent in 2100. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the period for an increasing proportion of the working-age population will be shorter, with a peak around 2039, while in Central and Southern Asia the proportion is expected to peak around 2047.
To benefit from it, the report said, governments should invest in education and health creating conditions conducive to sustained economic growth.
The report also confirmed that falling proportion of working-age population is putting pressure on social protection systems for many countries.
The report said potential support ratio, which compares numbers of persons at working ages to those over age 65, is falling around the world, as Japan has the lowest ratio of 1.8.
By 2050, 48 countries are expected to have ratios below two, which underscores the potential impact on the labor market and economic performances.
The report pointed out migration has become a major component of population change in some countries, which is driven by the demand for migrant workers or by violence and armed conflict.
Many European countries and Japan will experience a net inflow of migrants over the decade, helping to offset population losses.
The changes in the size, composition and distribution of the world's population have important consequences for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, said the report.
