Demographic Change
Demographic change is a critical megatrend with far-reaching implications for sustainable development. Shifts in population growth and decline, ageing, youth transitions, and patterns of migration are reshaping societies, economies, and labour markets in diverse and often complex ways. These changes influence care systems, social protection, education, and governance, with different regions facing diverse demographic realities.
At its 48th session, the High-level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) recognized the urgency of addressing shifting population dynamics as integral to sustainable development and emphasized the need for a coherent and coordinated United Nations system response that can support Member States in navigating these transitions. Subsequently, HLCP decided to establish a time-bound task team on demographic change under the leadership of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) to advance system-wide policy coherence and coordination, building on existing mechanisms and focusing on practical, high-impact outcomes.
At its intersessional meeting in June 2025, the Committee reviewed and approved the task team’s terms of reference. The overall objectives of the task team are to (1) promote balanced and informed narratives about the implications of demographic change, (2) promote system-wide coherence around policy responses to demographic change, to improve the coordination of programmatic support provided to Member States, and (3) promote the effective integration of demographic trends in processes intended to advance sustainable development by 2030 and beyond.
The task team is carrying out its work through a two-phased approach. In its initial phase (June 2025–April 2026), the task team focuses on promoting policy coherence, developing a common position on policy responses to demographic change and strengthening and amplifying messages on demographic change within the UN and towards governments and the public. These initial outputs aim to inform intergovernmental processes, including the Second World Summit for Social Development. Building on the outputs of the first phase, the task team plans to develop a plan of activities for the second year (May 2026-April 2027) that will focus on programmatic and operational deliverables.