Videos

"We have to start thinking about non-productive or non-paid work in a different way" - an interview with Jane Falkingham (Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton). Questions: 1. How do the shifts in population growth and ageing that took place in the last five decades differ from previous demographic transitions? 2. What do you consider to be the biggest policy challenge resulting from these changes? 3. Can these challenges be met within the existing framework of our welfare systems?

"We can not avoid working longer" - an interview with Irena Kotowska. Questions: 1. Are the ageing societies of most European countries bound to face a shrinking workforce and therefore declining economic productivity? 2. What are the differences in this respect between regions in Europe? 3. How could policy makers address these developments? 4. Which type of pension reform could be seen as a best practice example? 5. Will we have to not only work longer but work more?

"Everyone who is old today, was young at one time" - an interview with Michael Murphy. Questions: 1. As an expert on modelling and forecasts, what would you say will be the defining features of the global population in 2050? 2. From a global perspective, are there differences between the regions? 3. How reliable can todays' scenarios for 2050 be? 4. What do you consider to be the biggest policy challenge resulting from population ageing? 5. Do we have to fear a "war between generations"?

"Education is the demographic dimension that matters most for development" - an interview with Wolfgang Lutz (Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital). Questions: 1. When you think about world population trends and forecasting: do you see scarcity or prosperity? 2. How alarming is low fertility in Europe in a global demographic context - will Europeans die out one day? 3. Is there an optimal level of fertility? 4. How important is it to slow down population increase in developing countries?

"The care dimension can no longer be excluded" - an interview with Gerda Neyer. Questions: 1) Which demographic development in the last decade do you consider most significant? 2) Can policy measures help to increase fertility rates? 3) Do you consider gender equality the remedy to counter low fertility rates? 4) Will our lives become even more centered exclusively on work? 5) Which policy measures can be effective to reconcile work and family? 6) Can we handle the extra amount of care needed?

Having a child is as legitimate an aim in life as having a Mercedes" - an interview with Zsolt Spéder (Hungarian Demographic Research Institute, Budapest). Questions: 1. What are the most interesting demographic developments in the new European member states in the last decades? 2. What is the reason for this? 3. Will fertility behaviour change soon or always stay low? 4. What is the role of cultural factors compared to economic factors? 5. What do you consider the main cause for fertility decline?

"Societies will move on and master everything" - an interview with Jitka Rychtaříková (Department of Demography and Geodemography, Charles University in Prague). Questions: 1) What are the main differences concerning life-expectancy between European countries? 2) What are the reasons for these differences? 3) Will the gained years be spent in good health? 4) How is the situation in Eastern and Central Europe concerning fertility and family policies? 5) Do we have to expect a conflict between old and young people?

"Fertility and female labour market participation can go together" - an interview with Olivier Thévenon on fertility and female labour market participation. Questions:

"Changes in partnership behaviour are more significant than low fertility" - an interview with Elizabeth Thomson (SUDA). Questions: 1. Which demographic development in the last decade do you consider most significant? 2. What are the reasons why are people are no longer sure? 3. What impact does this change have on fertility? 4. Is this an area where policy measures can make a difference?

"Who wants to have 40 years of forced leisure?" - an interview with James W. Vaupel (MPIDR). Questions: 1. Will we all reach one hundred years of age or are there different expectations across European countries? 2. Does the likelihood of disease and disabilities increase with higher life expectancy? 3. Is working as long as you can healthy? 4. Should we say goodbye to the idea of a general retirement age? 5. Is this kind of flexible working time economically realistic? 6. Do we have to expect a clash of generations?