Latin America has become the fastest-aging part of the world, raising fears that it will grow old before it can become rich. For decades, the region had one of the world’s largest demographic bonuses, with births per woman peaking at almost six in the 1960s. However population growth has since plummeted to well below replacement levels: Chile, one of Latin America’s wealthiest countries, now has a fertility rate below that of Japan. The crisis will shape “politics, businesses, communities, and how people live for decades to come,” Americas Quarterly said. Yet businesses are betting on a booming “silver economy”, from elder care to age-tech, which could generate millions of jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars in activity. The challenge, AQ states, is ensuring societies grow old with dignity rather than stagnation.
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I think Goldin captured the cause of this perfectly well. As countries develop economically but retain the same patriarchal social norms, women are less likely to have children as they have better opportunities open to them. Ultimately the path out requires shifting social norms to be more equal in childcare as some nordic countries have worked on ([See this paper on expanding paternity leave in Denmark](https://www.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/s/PhOjMybSjD))
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Latin America has become the fastest-aging part of the world, raising fears that it will grow old before it can become rich. For decades, the region had one of the world’s largest demographic bonuses, with births per woman peaking at almost six in the 1960s. However population growth has since plummeted to well below replacement levels: Chile, one of Latin America’s wealthiest countries, now has a fertility rate below that of Japan. The crisis will shape “politics, businesses, communities, and how people live for decades to come,” Americas Quarterly said. Yet businesses are betting on a booming “silver economy”, from elder care to age-tech, which could generate millions of jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars in activity. The challenge, AQ states, is ensuring societies grow old with dignity rather than stagnation.
I think Goldin captured the cause of this perfectly well. As countries develop economically but retain the same patriarchal social norms, women are less likely to have children as they have better opportunities open to them. Ultimately the path out requires shifting social norms to be more equal in childcare as some nordic countries have worked on ([See this paper on expanding paternity leave in Denmark](https://www.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/s/PhOjMybSjD))