Age Structure Transitions and Emerging Demographic Window in Iran: Economic Outcomes and Policy Implications

In Iran, population policy and planning have debated more about the dynamic of population growth and much less attention to the age structure of the population, its changes and consequences. Iran’s Fertility has declined significantly in during the past two decades. Consequently, the age structure of population is under transition. Changing age structure is offering a window of opportunity that is referred to as the demographic window. In during time of demographic window, that is temporal time, the working-age population bulges and the age dependency ratios declines. Demographic window offers a unique and golden opportunity for economic development, but exploit this opportunity is needed appropriate policies. This paper focuses on age structure transitions, demographic window and its economic outcomes. The paper begins with briefly overview of the demographic transition, then the recent and projected changes in Iran’s population age structure will be reviewed. After that, the paper examines demographic window and its linkages with the economic growth. Finally, it discusses policy implications to realize and exploit demographic window.