The demographic dividend and demographic window of opportunity: a cross-national comparative analysis

Abstract

This study presents an empirical analysis of the demographic dividend (DD) and the demographic window of opportunity (DWO), examining their distinct roles in analysing the economic implications of age-specific population dynamics. The study proposes a mixed-methods approach that combines National Transfer Accounts (NTA) with a demographic assessment of the beneficial period – the DWO. Through an empirical analysis, the study illustrates the distinctions between the demographic dividend (DD) and the demographic window of opportunity (DWO). Drawing on evidence from eight selected countries, the study reveals time lags between the opening of the DWO and the emergence of the DD, as well as cross-country variations in the magnitude of both the DWO and the DD. The proposed analytical framework offers a replicable model for evaluating population dynamics within the context of the demographic dividend.