The effect of longevity risks on the performance of stock market

Abstract

In this study the author examines the effect of the speed of population aging on the financial markets in 11 OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries after controlling the proportion of labor population, the growth rate of real GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the rate of increasing productivity, inflation rate, and the rate of increasing scale of pension market. The author finds that the performance of stock market is affected by complex factors including increasing of average life expectancy, the growth rate of real GDP, the rate of increasing productivity, the inflation rate, the earning rate of stock market and the rate of increasing scale of pension market. Especially, the proportion of economically active people is the most significant factor to explain the stock market performance. Considering the decreasing proportion of economically active people in aging societies, the decrease of productivity and eventually the decrease of earnings from financial markets would be expected.