How Europe can adapt to an ageing population

By 2050, Europe and Central Asia will have around 10 million fewer workers, as populations age, fertility rates stay low, and fewer young people enter the labour market. What will this demographic shift mean for economies, labour markets, and societies?

In this episode of the Future of Work podcast, ILO economists Sabrina de Gobbi and Stefan Kühn — co-authors of a new working paper on Europe’s ageing workforce — unpack the scale of the challenge and the policies that can make a difference. From empowering women, young people, persons with disabilities, and migrants, to encouraging older workers to stay active longer, they explore how the right investments in care systems, lifelong learning, and inclusive labour markets can help Europe adapt to demographic change in ways that are both sustainable and fair.