3 ms·

Yes. Germany is steering towards a massive cliff and nothing's changing. The mandatory retirement tax I pay goes straight to retirees today. That system only wo

Yes. Germany is steering towards a massive cliff and nothing's changing. The mandatory retirement tax I pay goes straight to retirees today. That system only works though if you have a growing population. Every year the ratio of retirees/workers increases. Even today that system isn't self-sufficient. In 2021 the government had to allot an additional 91 billion EUR. By 2030 it's expected to be 134. Most of my peers (20-30 year olds) are fully aware that we very likely won't receive a government retirement or one so low that it wouldn't make a difference.

mbustamanter 3y ago
Didn't the german chancellor say recently that Germany would have to take in 1.5 million immigrants a year so that its pension system wouln't collapse? I personally don't think that is the solution but Spain is going through a similar phenomenon (pensions-low TFR).
- ethbr0 3y ago
  German politics/demographics seem balanced carefully between {need for immigrants to maintain population growth} and {cultural reaction to immigrants}. Although, credit to Germans, at least they're talking about the problem like adults. Mostly. Or moreso than other countries.
- red-iron-pine 3y ago
  Spain has the advantage of having an entire continent who speak Spanish, are generally Catholic, and were former colonies / have overlapping culture. Failing that, British expats might suffice.
criddell 3y ago
> That system only works though if you have a growing population. That's true, but there are other systems. Japan prints more money. They are the poster child for modern monetary theory.
bratbag 3y ago
By the time you retire, you will be part of a generation significantly smaller than the one younger than you. It's the boomer bulge creating today's issues.
- mschild 3y ago
  True, but what will the population pyramid look like then? There's no guarantee that it will stabilize and stay constant.

mbustamanter 3y ago

Didn't the german chancellor say recently that Germany would have to take in 1.5 million immigrants a year so that its pension system wouln't collapse? I personally don't think that is the solution but Spain is going through a similar phenomenon (pensions-low TFR).

ethbr0 3y ago
German politics/demographics seem balanced carefully between {need for immigrants to maintain population growth} and {cultural reaction to immigrants}. Although, credit to Germans, at least they're talking about the problem like adults. Mostly. Or moreso than other countries.
red-iron-pine 3y ago
Spain has the advantage of having an entire continent who speak Spanish, are generally Catholic, and were former colonies / have overlapping culture. Failing that, British expats might suffice.

criddell 3y ago

> That system only works though if you have a growing population. That's true, but there are other systems. Japan prints more money. They are the poster child for modern monetary theory.

bratbag 3y ago

By the time you retire, you will be part of a generation significantly smaller than the one younger than you. It's the boomer bulge creating today's issues.

mschild 3y ago
True, but what will the population pyramid look like then? There's no guarantee that it will stabilize and stay constant.