Strategic Options for Pensions and Healthcare

Strategies to address the challenge of financing retirement and healthcare in a rapidly ageing world

The ageing of society is a current challenge in developed countries and an imminent challenge in others. By 2030, it will be a major issue in most of today’s emerging economies, and by 2050, few countries will be unaffected. With an ageing population, a declining labour force, and alarming healthcare and pension benefit costs, concerted effort from government, private sectors and civil societies is essential to address these concerns.

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Executive Summary

Interview: Chiemi Hayashi, Associate Director on the World Economic Forum's Scenario Planning Team and Bernd Jan Sikken, Associate Director, Financial Institutions Industries; Head of Project Management, Centre for Global Industries

About the 11 Strategic Options

These demographic trends challenge the financial sustainability of pay-as-you-go pension and healthcare systems, as well as capital-funded systems and risk undermining access and quality. The report highlights 11 options to better cater for the changing retirement and healthcare expectations, especially in the current time when resources are stretched (See Figure 1, page 6 of the report).

This publication is the result of collaboration with Mercer, the OECD and the Forum's partners. During its two-year life cycle, this project successfully engaged over 300 leaders representing 80 companies (financial institutions, healthcare companies, and others) and over 40 non-business organizations (governments, international organizations, academic institutes and civil societies).

For further information contact: Chiemi Hayashi at chh@weforum.org or Bernd Jan Sikken at bjs@weforum.org

Partners Views:

"The report makes a compelling case for immediate and collaborative action by the private and public sector. Even more impressive, the analysis sets out a pragmatic blueprint for transformation, by identifying the most promising 11 strategies and providing three key scenarios of the future against which to consider the effectiveness of each." M. Michele Burns Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mercer Chairperson to the Steering Committee of this project

"The state has a central role to play in providing adequate pensions and healthcare, but it needs to better engage other stakeholders through effective collaborative mechanisms. We are happy to have contributed to this report, which is intended to inform public debate by identifying a set of key strategies to deliver pension and healthcare programmes that are both financially sustainable and effective. The report highlights innovative solutions that could be applied to different contexts and countries." Angel Gurría Secretary-General OECD