I'm always surprised when I talk to someone about
Post# of 2217
Birth rates are declining, the massive population explosion that people have been talking about for a couple of decades probably won't happen.
Can't give the citation off the top of my head, but in a matter of years the birth rate for Iranian women has gone from over seven children to less than two.
The U.S. is fortunate, an influx of younger immigrants is helping to mitigate some of the problem. Japan will be hit first, and hit hard. This is why GeckoSystems is focusing its marketing efforts there. Check this article for some really shocking statistics.
http://www.wilsonquarterly.com/article.cfm?aid=2143
China will probably be the next to fall because of the one child policy. Their urban elderly are already warehoused in very disturbing conditions, and the problem of dealing with an aging population will probably do major damage to the Chinese economy in the not too distant future.
Demographic imbalance between the elderly and the young will gradually affect the economy of every nation in the world. In many countries the solutions may seem inhumane by our standards. Older people will not be pushed into retirement, they will be encouraged (or in some cases required) to contribute to the best of their ability.