Portugal's Ageing Population Problem
More and more Western countries have an ageing problem. Increasing ratio of retired to working people. Which translates into rising pension and healthcare bills (to be paid by the state). Addressing it isn’t easy. Attempts to persuade people to have more babies haven’t worked. Increasing taxes to pay those pension/ healthcare bills only causes younger people to leave the country. Vasco Queiros talks of how Portugal, the second oldest country in Europe, is faring. Half the population is dependent on the state in one or the other way: “35% are retirees, 10% government workers, and another 5% receive either unemployment benefits or integration benefits.” Policies are further skewed by the fact that senior citizens are reliable voters, while young people aren’t. And seniors vote to ensure pension and healthcare needs are taken care of. Put amusingly, seniors go to the ballot box while young people vote with their feet, i.e., leave the country. To summarize, an ageing p