Published
04/23/2026, 12:33Biotechnology could be one way of alleviating global labour shortages. This is the conclusion reached by analysts at the Eurasian Development Bank in a new study on the global economy.
The idea is simple. The workforce is shrinking due to an ageing population. This is usually offset by migration, rising birth rates or automation. Now another factor is being added to this list — advances in medicine and biotechnology.
It is not so much a question of people living longer, but rather of them staying healthy for longer and being able to work without significant age-related restrictions.
Experts note that a longer active life is important in its own right. But for the economy, it is also a way to ease pressure on the labour market.
According to EDB estimates, one additional year of healthy life could yield an effect comparable to economic growth of trillions of dollars in the world’s largest countries. Specifically, this amounts to $15–19 trillion for the US and China, around $3.4 trillion for Russia, and $2–4 trillion for other major economies.
This is precisely why investment in biotechnology is increasingly viewed not only as a means of advancing medicine, but also as a long-term economic strategy.
