VOL. 38 NO. 3
One of the not-so-secret dreams of journalists is to report trends before they become public knowledge. Our cover story on Silver Power this month may not represent a revelation, but it does offer an unusual look at an often-discussed social issue. The author, Charles Wallace, explores the demographic issue of aging populations around the world not just as a growing source of problems for many countries—as it certainly is—but also as representing new markets, new wealth, and an underutilized talent pool. This inescapable trend is forcing many corporate executives to revise their long-term strategies. Many companies around the world have already redirected production with the aging population in mind.
After all, the members of the Silver Set hold huge spending power. The population over 60 will nearly double its size between 2015 and 2050, according to the World Health Organization, and some countries are already experiencing the over-80 cohort as the fastest growing population segment.
This issue presents a wealth of stories, starting with a rich supplement focused on Latin America that touches on the varying realities of South America, Central America and The Caribbean, along with a country report on Kuwait and one on Nigeria.
Many of this month’s stories can be seen through the “filter” of demographics: Nigeria has significant growth prospects, as do many Latin American countries, due to the relative young age of many of their citizens. Our report on private banking also touches on generations, the great transfer of wealth from the Baby Boomers to their progeny. What will it mean for the private banking industry? Last, but not least, in this issue we present our annual Sustainability Awards: a topic which tops interegenerational agendas worldwide.
Andrea Fiano | Editor at Large
afiano@gfmag.com
