The impact of the population’s age composition on technological progress

This research paper explores the determinants of countries' innovation levels as measured by the Global Innovation Index, focusing on the essential factors that strengthen a country's innovative capabilities. Through a comprehensive cross-country regression analysis, the findings highlight the role of GDP per capita, Median age and the Share of the population aged 25-49 as significant factors of innovation. Contrary to our initial hypotheses, the analysis demonstrates that other variables such as the democracy level, birth rate, net migration, and life expectancy, initially provided in our model, do not significantly influence the innovation process. This indicates that economic prosperity, a youthful age profile, and a significant part of the population within their most productive years are crucial in enhancing a nation's innovation. The results are particularly significant for Ukraine, emphasizing the need to enhance technological progress in its post-war recovery efforts. This study confirms the importance of a relatively young population and stable economic health in fostering technological progress, providing guidance for policymakers aiming to enhance innovation strategies.