【Macro/Trade Seminar】Living in a Ghost Town: The Geography of Aging and Depopulation
2025/05/29
研討會日期 : 2025-05-29
時間 : 14:30
主講人 : Professor Yuta Suzuki (鈴木悠太)
地點 : Conference Room C103
主持人 : Professor Han Yang
演講者簡介 : Professor Yuta Suzuki received his Ph.D. in Economics from Pennsylvania State University in 2022. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research interests are International Trade, Regional Sciences, and Demography.
演講摘要 : This paper analyzes the spatial heterogeneity of population aging and decline in Japan, revealing a stark contrast between rapidly aging rural areas and expanding metropolitan regions. Using spatially disaggregated data and a dynamic life-cycle spatial general equilibrium model, we show that depopulation is driven by out-migration and low birth rates, further exacerbated by lower productivity and declining amenities. Our model projects that this unequal spatial trajectory of aging and population decline will persist. The resulting spatial inequality poses a significant challenge for the national government: sustaining local public services in aging areas is essential for the remaining elderly population, yet the required per capita fiscal transfers continue to grow. The findings highlight a fundamental trade-off between efficiency and equity: while population concentration enhances aggregate efficiency, maintaining population dispersion promotes spatial equity.
