Demographic Constraints on Regional Development in the EU's Periphery

David A. Swanson, Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration

Demographic Constraints on Regional Development 1. General Issues a. Historical rural/urban fertility differential fueled urban growth via rural-urban migration in EU & elsewhere b. Differential lessened as fertility declined in general, but it still fuels urban growth & extant rural-urban migration c. Rural areas in EU's periphery with aging populations d. The already small differential will decline substantially over next 20 years 2. Specific Examples from Finland and the South Savo Region - the EU's Periphery, "Objective 1" areas 3. Importance of incorporating a demographic perspective a. Academic Research b. Development Initiatives 4. Summary: Demography is peripheral neither to the development of the periphery nor the well-being of the core a. effects of population aging in sending areas like South-Savo and other “Objective 1 “ regions on, e. g., the potential workforce,its training needs, language acquisition, and incentives? b. As both the population and fertility in rural areas falls below the level needed to send migrants to urban areas, what then for not only the sending (Objective 1) areas, but the receiving (urban) areas as well?