Mexico in 2050: Old and Rich, or Decrepit and Impoverished

El Universal wonders if the Mexican reality in 2050 will be one of first-world prosperity, as many have predicted:

The decisions must be taken today, because at this point we have the "demographic bonus", which means the ideal conditions of population for the socioeconomic development of the nation, an advantage in opportunity that only opens once in the history of the country and will last until the year 2048, according to the most optimistic projections of the National Population Council.

It is in this period when the whole of people of working age --between 15 and 64 years-- will be able to maintain the group that constitutes the dependent population: children, teenagers, and elderly adults; when this period comes to an end, there will be more of those in need than providers.

There remains little time to beat back the low educational quality and the lack of training for the population of a productive age; the insufficient number of jobs and the labor instability. To turn those who have between 15 and 64 years into consumers of goods and services, into savers and providers for their own retirement, because later there will not be enough young people to maintain the well deserved inactivity of the elderly.

Unfortunately none of what is happening can divert us from the worst fate: a nation both poor and old. Mexicans have complained a lot about not being a member of BRIC, countries considered the next world powers. But we are largely not because we haven't taken advantage of the demographic curve as have Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC).

We are in a countdown. Mexico has three decades to make its GDP grow, at a minimum, by 4 percent annually and give work to the almost one million Mexicans who each year add themselves to the economically active population. There is no space for indecisions.

Next, I'd like to see a little more about what their recommendations are. Hopefully, that'll come after the hubbub over the cabinet changes dies down a bit, and everyone can focus on the upcoming legislative session.