Health is becoming the primary economic resource — EDB

The world is searching for the next “big idea” in investment—and it seems that this time, it has less to do with technology itself and more to do with people. In its latest report, the Eurasian Development Bank explicitly states that following digital transformation, ESG, and artificial intelligence, the biotechnology revolution is coming to the forefront. However, behind this lies a far simpler idea—living longer and working longer.

This is precisely where economics intersects with demography. One additional year of healthy and productive life is worth trillions of dollars.

According to EDB estimates, over 20 years, such a “gift” could yield:

• China — $18.2 trillion;
• the U.S. — $15.1 trillion;
• Russia — up to $3.4 trillion.

In fact, we are talking about a new type of economic growth—not through machinery, oil, or even IT, but through human health as a factor of production.

This is precisely why investments in medicine, the fight against aging, and biotechnology are no longer a social burden. They are becoming a strategy.

The market is already responding. Biotechnology is worth nearly $2 trillion today, and in ten years—nearly $6 trillion.

And here, the picture for the Eurasian Union becomes particularly telling.

The average life expectancy in the EAEU is about 74.5 years. But there is a gap between countries:

• Armenia — 77.7 years;
• Kazakhstan — 75.09;
• Russia — 73.41;
• Kyrgyzstan — 71.9 years.

Ranking last is an economic shortcoming, as the country loses years—and thus, money.

If we follow the EBRD’s logic, a gap of several years in life expectancy is not merely a social problem, but a potential source of growth. Kyrgyzstan is already showing an increase in life expectancy, but the pace remains modest—+1.5 years since 2014. By comparison, Kazakhstan has gained more than 3.5 years.

The conclusion the report draws is that the most profitable investment of the 21st century is not technology, but people.