• Skip to content
  • Skip to navigation
Global Reach
  • Global Reach
  • Algerije
  • Botswana
  • Egypte
  • Ethiopië
  • Gabon
  • Guinee
  • Kameroen
  • Kenia
  • Libië
  • Malawi
  • Mauritius
  • Marokko
  • Nigeria
  • Namibië
  • Senegal
  • Zuid-Afrika
  • Togo
  • Tunesië
  • Oeganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • Anguilla
  • Antigua
  • Argentinië
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Bolivia
  • Brazilië
  • Britse Maagdeneilanden
  • Canada LLP
  • Canada RCGT
  • Kaaimaneilanden
  • Chili
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Dominica
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Mexico
  • Montserrat
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Puerto Rico
  • St Lucia
  • Saint Kitts
  • Saint Vincent en de Grenadines
  • Trinidad en Tobago
  • Uruguay
  • Verenigde Staten
  • Venezuela
  • Turks en Caicoseilanden
  • Afghanistan
  • Australië
  • Bangladesh
  • Cambodja
  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • Indië
  • Indonesië
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Maleisië
  • Mongolia
  • Nieuw-Zeeland
  • Pakistan
  • Filippijnen
  • Singapore
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Albanië
  • Armenië
  • België
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgarije
  • Cyprus
  • Denemarken
  • Duitsland
  • Estland
  • Finland
  • Frankrijk
  • Georgië
  • Gibraltar
  • Griekenland
  • Hongarije
  • IJsland
  • Ierland
  • Kanaaleilanden
  • Northern Ierland
  • Israël
  • Italië - Bernoni
  • Italië - Ria
  • Kazachstan
  • Kosovo
  • Kirgizië
  • Letland
  • Liechtenstein
  • Litouwen
  • Luxemburg
  • Macedonië
  • Malta
  • Man
  • Moldavië
  • Monaco
  • Nederland
  • Noorwegen
  • Oostenrijk
  • Polen
  • Portugal
  • Roemenië
  • Rusland
  • Servië
  • Slowakije
  • Spanje
  • Tadzjikistan
  • Tsjechië
  • Turkije
  • Oekraïne
  • Verenigd Koninkrijk
  • Oezbekistan
  • Wit-Rusland
  • Zweden
  • Zwitserland
  • Azerbeidzjan
  • Bahrein
  • Egipte
  • Jordanië
  • Koeweit
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saoedi-Arabië
  • Verenigde Arabische Emiraten
  • Jemen
  • Libanon
Grant Thorton Logo

Grant Thornton Logo Grant Thornton logo

Contacteer ons
NL-BE EN FR
  • Ontdek
  • Insights
  • Diensten
  • Over ons
  • Onze mensen
  • Carrière
  • Evenementen
  • Portal
  • Fusie & overname
  • Internationaal ondernemen
Fusie & overname HOME
  • Waarderingen
  • Due diligence onderzoek
  • Onafhankelijk advies bij overnames
  • Vennootschapsrechtelijke reorganisaties
  • Juridische begeleiding
Internationaal ondernemen HOME
  • Transfer pricing
  • Global mobility services
  • International tax & VAT
  • IFRS-rapportering
  • Audit & Assurance
  • Advisory
  • Tax
  • Legal
  • Accountancy & Reporting
Audit & Assurance HOME
  • Financial statement audit
  • Agreed upon procedures
  • IFRS-rapportering
  • Wettelijke opdrachten
Advisory HOME
  • Transaction advisory services
  • Restructuring
  • Risicobeheer & interne controle
  • Interne audit & IT-audit
  • GDPR & cybersecurity
  • Data-analyse & process mining
  • Business plan & financieel plan
  • IT advisory, digitale transformatie & robotics
  • Organisatie- en procesverbetering
  • Forensic services
Tax HOME
  • Vennootschapsbelasting
  • Btw
  • International tax & VAT
  • Compensation & Benefits
  • Transfer pricing
  • Global mobility services
  • Private client services
Legal HOME
  • Juridische ondersteuning en contracten
  • Vennootschapsrecht & overnames
  • Arbeids- en sociaal zekerheidsrecht
  • ICT-recht & GDPR
  • Legal Counsel as a Service
Accountancy & Reporting HOME
  • Accounting & reporting
  • CFO-as-a-service
  • Outsourcing
  • Consolidatie
  • Global Compliance and Reporting Solutions
  • Support
  • Cliënteel
  • Medewerkers
  • Grant Thornton Belgium
  • Archive
  • Press releases
  • 2015
  • Survey covers 700 APAC business leaders

Ageing populations pose greatest risk to APAC

09 nov 2015
  • Survey covers 700 APAC business leaders

Additional concerns over regional conflict due to competing territorial claims and the rebalancing of China’s economy

Businesses leaders across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region believe their ageing populations pose the single biggest challenge to their future operations, according to a new report published by Grant Thornton. The threat of rising dependency ratios were greater concerns than regional conflict and the slowdown in China’s economy in the survey of 700 business leaders across the region.

The findings, from Grant Thornton’s new report, 'The future of Asia-Pacific', reveal that 42% of APAC business leaders believe ageing populations to be a major threat, ahead of the regional conflict due to competing territorial claims (40%) and the rebalancing of China’s economy (39%).

The results support the United Nations population projections which identify 2015 as a tipping point after which the proportion of the population in Asia-Pacific dependent on those in work will begin to rise. This marks the end of the ‘demographic dividend’, where people of working age are supporting relatively fewer dependents, boosting growth prospects.   

Ed Nusbaum, global CEO at Grant Thornton, commented: “The effects of an ageing population is the big issue keeping Asia-Pacific business leaders up at night. This is because – outside of India and Indonesia – birth rates are falling across the region.

“The removal of the one-child policy in China is an obvious sign that governments are aware of the challenge that rising dependency ratios pose to sustainable rates of economic growth. Relatively more elderly people puts an increased strain on public services such as health. It shrinks the talent pool available to businesses. Moreover, if demand for skilled workers outstrips supply, then labour costs will also go up, possibly resulting in the region’s competitive advantage as a low-cost base for manufacturing being eroded.”

Figures from Grant Thornton’s International Business Report support this trend. Over the year to date, 38% of APAC surveyed businesses have cited skills shortages as a threat to their future growth, up 12pp from 2010.

Clubbing together for success

Business leaders cited the Trans-Pacific Partnership (32%) and increased ASEAN economic cooperation as the key opportunities for APAC over the next five years.

Ed Nusbaum added: “The TPP covers 40% of the global economy and ASEAN economies combined would be the seventh largest in the world. These are major deals which look set to boost the competitiveness of the region and offer myriad opportunities to dynamic businesses.

“Clearly APAC faces challenges – as do other regions – but we should remember that ageing populations could boost the growth potential of sectors such as healthcare. And the growing trend of automation could help offset the labour shortages some businesses are facing. Business leaders and policymakers need to work together turn threats into opportunities to fully unlock the economic potential of a region which is home to three in five people on earth.”

– ends – 

  • LinkedIn icon
  • Facebook icon
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Grant Thornton on Youtube
CONNECTclose
  • Contacteer ons
  • Geef ons uw feedback
  • Vind een expert
  • Evenementen
ABOUTclose
  • Persberichten
  • Over ons
  • Onze kantoren
  • Carrière
LEGALclose
  • Privacy statement
  • Disclaimer
  • Identificatieplicht
  • Site map

© 2021 Grant Thornton Belgium CV - Alle rechten voorbehouden. “Grant Thornton” verwijst naar de merknaam waaronder de leden van Grant Thornton diensten verlenen aan hun cliënten op het vlak van assurance, tax en advisory en/of verwijst naar een of meerdere leden, naargelang de context. Grant Thornton Belgium is lid van Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL en haar leden zijn geen wereldwijd partnerschap. GTIL en elk lid van GTIL vormt een aparte juridische entiteit. Alle diensten worden geleverd door de leden van GTIL. GTIL levert geen diensten aan cliënten. GTIL en haar leden zijn geen vertegenwoordigers van elkaar, hebben geen onderlinge verplichtingen en zijn niet verantwoordelijk voor elkaars handelingen of nalatigheden.

    • NL-BE
    • EN
    • FR
    • Contacteer ons