Two workers, one retiree: the crisis coming for New Zealand
ANALYSIS: These projections are not designed to alarm, but are the arithmetic of a system running out of road.
Emi O’Connor
Sat, 09 May 2026
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
By 2065, two workers in New Zealand will support every retiree. That is the number currently crushing Japan. Japan calls their version of this crisis the 2025 mondai – or the 2025 problem, referencing the moment their baby boomer generation crossed into old age, leaving too few workers paying
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Emi O’Connor
Sat, 09 May 2026
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
