Demographic projections, the regions and thoughts about the future

For some time now, Quebec’s population growth has been slowing, and the probability is that the pace of growth will decline even further in the years to come. The regions of Quebec will be affected to varying degrees. Similarly, the aging of the population that will occur in tandem with this deceleration will manifest itself at different speeds in different regions. However, Quebec is not the only economy to face rapid population aging, and some OECD countries are currently experiencing a situation that is similar to what is anticipated here around the mid-2030s. Can we look to those countries for inspiration? Change lies ahead in all of Quebec’s regions, and it calls for imagination and planning. We need to find out what is being done in other places, move beyond accepted notions about aging, and take an interest in new studies that put the predicted disasters into perspective. Given the long-term trends that are developing, one thing is clear: no one will be able to claim that they were surprised by all this.