Population aging and financing of government liabilities in New Zealand

Hana Polackova
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Hana Polackova Brixi

No 1703, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: In New Zealand in the next 50 years, an aging population is expected to elevate government liabilities and weaken the government's fiscal position. To maintain fiscal balance, the government must either substantially pre-fund future increases in its liabilities or significantly raise taxes in the 2030's-40's, following few small possible tax cuts in the next 10 to 15 years. Expected fiscal problems are related to the increasing costliness of publicly providing for health care and retirement. Moreover, the aging population's negative effects on the fiscal balance could be exacerbated by any slackening in economic performance or in fiscal prudence. Long-term fiscal projections for the country, and literature on the problem, indicate that the most effective way to contain the expected rise in government liabilities is to reform health care and pension policies.

Keywords: Environmental Economics&Policies; PublicHealth Promotion; Economic Theory&Research; Public Sector Economics&Finance; Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Economic Theory&Research; Public Sector Economics&Finance; Environmental Economics&Policies; National Governance; Banks&Banking Reform (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1997-02-28
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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