Live Webinar: Is Population Ageing a Demographic Timebomb?

Join us for a timely and dynamic webinar as two leading thinkers present contrasting views on one of the most consequential shifts of our time: the global ageing population.

Kevin Daly, co-head of CEEMEA Economics in Goldman Sachs and co-author of the recent report The Positive Story of Global Ageing, argues that fears around population ageing are overblown. With life expectancy increasing and many countries already adjusting through extended working lives and falling dependency ratios, he sees ageing as a positive transition rather than a crisis. In Kevin’s view, it’s time to challenge outdated assumptions and recognise that living longer, healthier lives is a major human achievement—not a looming threat.

Marc Canal Noguer, co-author of McKinsey Global Institute’s report Dependency and Depopulation?, highlights the seismic economic consequences of declining fertility and shrinking workforces. Marc will explain why ageing could slow GDP growth, strain support systems, and force nations to act urgently—boosting productivity, encouraging migration, and even raising birth rates—to avoid stagnation. As fertility rates fall below replacement in much of the world, he warns, this new era of “youth scarcity” demands a strategic and comprehensive response.

Chaired by SPE Councillor Sarah Hewin, expect a thought-provoking conversation with data, debate, and insight into how societies can navigate the challenges—and opportunities—of global demographic change.

About the speakers and chair:

Dr Kevin J Daly OBE is co-head of CEEMEA Economics in Goldman Sachs. Prior to assuming this role in 2016, he was a senior economist on the European Economics team focusing on the Euro area and UK economies. Kevin joined Goldman Sachs in 2001 and was named managing director in 2010. Kevin is a member of the advisory panel to the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility and a member of a steering group of independent experts advising the UK Statistics Authority. He was chairman of the Society of Professional Economists (SPE) from 2016 to 2021. He has appeared as an expert witness before the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee and the House of Lords European Union Committee. Kevin was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for services to economics in the 2023 King’s Honours.

Marc Canal Noguer is a Senior Fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, McKinsey’s global research institute. His research focuses on productivity growth, economic growth, and the future of work, as well as their intersections with demographics, human capital, and technology. Previously, he served as a consultant at McKinsey, covering several industries such as banking, retail, and the public sector in Europe. Marc holds a degree in Business Administration from ESADE Barcelona, a Masters in Financial Economics from HEC Paris, and an MBA from London Business School.

 Sarah Hewin has been on the Council of the Society of Professional Economists since 2022. Now an independent economist, Sarah has had a long career in the City, most recently as Head of Research for Europe and Americas at Standard Chartered Bank, advising the bank’s corporate and institutional clients. Prior to that, she  worked as an economist at American Express Bank in London, New York and Hong Kong, at Lloyds Bank, and at the European Commission in Brussels. 

Members can register via SPE email communications. Interested in attending but not a member? Visit our member pages to find out how to join Europe’s largest economics professional networks.