Can rich countries care for the old without going bust?

“I am in a hurry,” says Conny Helder, a Dutch minister who juggles the portfolios of sport and care for the elderly. She is referring to the second half of her job. The number of Dutch people aged 75 and older is expected almost to double by 2040, to 2.5m. The proportion of Dutch gdp spent looking after the elderly is already among the highest in the world (see chart). Without big changes, it could double by 2050. The share of the workforce helping the sick and frail could rise from one-seventh to one-third, the government fears.