This OECD 2005 report, prepared at the request of Deputies of the G10, reviews economic consequences of ageing populations for financial markets and recommends that governments help facilitate development of financial instruments to support retirement savings and pensions.

This OECD 2005 report, prepared at the request of Deputies of the G10, reviews economic consequences of ageing populations for financial markets and recommends that governments help facilitate development of financial instruments to support retirement savings and pensions.

The book gives an overview of the implications of population ageing on economic development and financial systems. It describes several challenges which the ageing process poses for central banks, giving special consideration to the situation in Europe. The first two chapters discuss the relationship between ageing and saving and between ageing and international capital flows. Other chapters consider the possible implications for financial markets. The final part raises issues which are of particular relevance for central banks, namely ageing and financial stability and how ageing will affect monetary policy.

Population aging will affect the performance of pension funds and financial markets in the former transition economies and require determined policy actions to complete financial market development and to promote financial literacy through education.

The Chilean pension reform of 1981, in which Chile moved from an unfunded to a funded scheme, is considered to have contributed to this country’s excellent economic performance since the mid-1980s. The paper highlights the theoretical underpinnings of the claimed economic effects and presents empirical data and preliminary econometric testing of the conjectured growth, capital formation, and saving effects. The empirical evidence is consistent with most of the claims. In particular, the direct impact of financial market development on private saving is found to be negative, which underscores the importance of sound fiscal policy and public saving to support the transition.