Core Viewpoint - The future of the German economy may struggle to replicate past high growth rates due to the constraints of an aging population, as stated by Marcel Fratzscher, the head of the German Economic Institute [1] Economic Growth Projections - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that Germany's long-term potential economic growth rate will average only about 0.7% per year [1] - The German Economic Expert Committee also predicts that by 2070, the annual growth rate of the German economy may remain around 0.7% [1] Causes of Economic Stagnation - The primary reason for the long-term economic stagnation is the issue of social aging, characterized by a decreasing available workforce and an expanding retired population that needs support [1] Recommendations for Government Reform - Fratzscher urges the government to raise taxes and cut subsidies to create fiscal space for reforms [1] - Suggested reforms include gradually abolishing "mini-jobs," increasing property taxes, and eliminating or at least reducing tax incentives deemed harmful to the climate, which collectively amount to approximately €60 billion annually [1] - He also advocates for the abolition of the income splitting system for couples, which imposes an annual burden of about €22 billion on the budget [1]

Group 1 - The phenomenon of uninheritance in Japan is increasingly common due to the aging population and rising death rates, with the government expected to collect a record 129 billion yen (approximately 5.86 billion RMB) in unclaimed inheritances in 2024 [1] - Japan's population has been declining since around 2009, contributing to structural issues such as social isolation among the elderly, with a rising proportion of unmarried individuals among deceased seniors and an increasing number of people without close relatives [1] - The annual increase in the number of deaths, projected to reach 1.6 million in 2024, is one of the reasons for the rapid growth of unclaimed inheritances, along with a low rate of will creation [1]