The Esoteric Investor: Alternative Investments for Global Macro Investors

1. Building the Demographic Framework

Demographics are one of the most important factors when analyzing the future economic prospects of any geographic area. Nations such as India have large young populations (only 5.2% of India’s population is older than 65) and therefore have a tremendous amount of future potential due to a growing labor force and a growing pool of consumers. In contrast, nations such as Japan, where 22% of the nation is older than 65, face a serious threat to their economy and will suffer from a shrinking labor force for the next several decades. In the U.S., more than 12% of the nation is over 65; in the UK, that number is 16%. Moreover, since 2006, an astonishing 330 people turn 60 every hour in the U.S. By 2050, Korea will ...