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. In June 2025, HLCP established 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) 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-phase approach. In its initial phase (June 2025–April 2026), the task team is focusing on promoting policy coherence, including by developing United Nations System Common Messages on Policy Responses to Demographic Change, which serve as an internal tool for UN system entities to speak with one voice when engaging with Member States and other stakeholders on issues related to demographic change. As a next step, the task team will produce a paper featuring a set of United Nations system guiding principles and policy recommendations designed to facilitate support to Member States and other stakeholders.
Building on the outputs of the first phase, the task team will develop a plan of activities for the second phase (May 2026-April 2027) that will focus on programmatic and operational deliverables, including a United Nations system-wide approach to demographic change.