The Longevity Imperative

Alongside climate change and inequality one of the biggest challenges facing the world today paradoxically arises from one of the greatest achievements of the twentieth century. For the first time in human history, thanks to advances in medical science and public health, the majority of people will live into their 70s and 80s and there are more people alive aged over 60 than under 5.

Rather than celebrating this extraordinary achievement, however, we see an ageing society as a threat, we worry about a growing care burden and the challenges of financing these longer lives, we fear a shrinking economy and a society riven by intergenerational conflict. These concerns are all entirely legitimate if we don''t make urgent and major reforms to every aspect of society and the economy.

The Longevity Imperative provides a roadmap for these changes. It argues that we have the potential to tackle these issues to create a healthier, happier and more productive society in th