Dealing with Current Demographic Changes: How does the Agency of the Population Affect the Old-age Pensionsystems in Europe?

In this thesis I examine the effects of the demographic changes experienced nowadays in almost every developed country. The main question addressed is “What are the effects of population ageing on the old-age pension systems in Europe?” I explore the answer of this question by first describing the concept of old-age pension systems by stressing the importance of its deep understanding. The paper narrows down its focus by bringing the attention to European level. It tracks down the developments in the different systems in Europe and their responsiveness to changes in the demographic situation. The study finishes with examples of four of the European welfare states: The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain. I chose to examine these countries in order to show how even developed countries could suffer greatly in the future if proper measures are not taken to adjust to the changing environment