Contrasting Giants: Demographic Change and Economic Performance in China and India

Centre for Applied Microeconomic Analysis Working Paper No. 10/2011

36 Pages Posted: 4 May 2011

See all articles by Rod Tyers

Rod Tyers

Australian National University (ANU) - School of Economics; The University of Western Australia - Department of Economics

Jane Golley

Australian National University (ANU) - Faculty of Economics & Commerce; Australian National University (ANU) - Crawford School of Public Policy

Date Written: April 1, 2011

Abstract

The timing of China’s and India’s demographic transitions and the implications of alternative fertility scenarios are here explored using a global economic model incorporating full demographic behavior and measures of dependency that include the working aged and those of working age who do not work. The results show that, while the path of total dependency in China will be comparatively flat, the positive contribution of declining youth dependency to real per capita income will not be offset by rising aged dependency until beyond 2030. India’s dependency ratio declines more sharply. Its higher initial fertility contributes positively to growth in GDP while weakening that in its real per capita income. Yet, so long as fertility continues to decline the latter negative effect will be partially offset by a demographic dividend worth at least five per cent of its 2000 real per capita income over more than three decades.

Keywords: China, India, Demographic Change, Economic Growth

JEL Classification: C68, E27, F43, J11, O53

Suggested Citation

Tyers, Rod and Tyers, Rod and Golley, Jane, Contrasting Giants: Demographic Change and Economic Performance in China and India (April 1, 2011). Centre for Applied Microeconomic Analysis Working Paper No. 10/2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1829652 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1829652

Rod Tyers (Contact Author)

Australian National University (ANU) - School of Economics ( email )

Arndt Building
Australian National University
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia
61-6-249-5124 (Fax)

The University of Western Australia - Department of Economics ( email )

35 Stirling Highway
Crawley, Western Australia 6009
Australia
61 8 6488 5632 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.business.uwa.edu.au/school/staff-profiles?type=profile&dn=cn%3DRodney%20Tyers%2Cou%3DEcon

Jane Golley

Australian National University (ANU) - Faculty of Economics & Commerce ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Australian National University (ANU) - Crawford School of Public Policy

ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
J.G. Crawford Building, #132, Lennox Crossing
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
147
Abstract Views
1,055
Rank
358,685
PlumX Metrics