Demographic Transition in the Middle East: Implications for Growth, Employment, and Housing

IMF Working Papers, February 1, 2000

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The working age population is expected to grow faster in the Middle East than in any other region in the world between now and 2015—rising annually by 2.7 percent, or 10 million people.
This demographic explosion presents the region with a major challenge in terms of providing jobs, incomes, and housing for the growing population.
The expanding labor force can also be seen as an opportunity to generate higher per capita income growth on a sustainable basis.
The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of market-friendly institutions in turning the challenge into opportunity.

Working age population growth:
- Expected to rise annually by 2.7 percent.
- Equivalent to an increase of 10 million people per year between now and 2015.
Implications:
- Major challenge to provide jobs, incomes, and housing for the growing population.
- Potential opportunity to raise per capita income sustainably if leveraged properly.

Emphasize the development of market-friendly institutions to convert demographic pressures into an economic opportunity.
Address employment creation, income generation, and housing supply to absorb the expanding labor force.

Subject: Aging, Employment, Housing, Labor, Labor force participation, National accounts, Population and demographics
Keywords: age structure, Aging, census result, demography, demography of Med, East Asia, Employment, employment growth, employment target, GDP, growth, growth rate, growth requirement, housing, housing investment, labor force, Labor force participation, Med context, Med country, Middle East, North America, physical capital, replacement ratio, WP