--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-30/productivity-to-the-rescue-review-article-on-the-mckinsey-global-institute-report-global-growth-can-productivity-save-the-day-in-an-aging-world/" title: "Productivity to the Rescue: Review Article on the McKinsey Global Institute Report Global Growth: Can Productivity Save the Day in an Aging World?" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:40:51+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:40:51+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Spring 2016" ipm_keyword: - "aging" - "best practices" - "catch-up" - "demographic" - "employment" - "G-19" - "global growth" - "productivity" - "review article" ipm_research_theme: - "Productivity trends and comparisons" ipm_country_focus: - "G-20" - "International" - "OECD" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Productivity to the Rescue: Review Article on the McKinsey Global Institute Report Global Growth: Can Productivity Save the Day in an Aging World? Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-30/productivity-to-the-rescue-review-article-on-the-mckinsey-global-institute-report-global-growth-can-productivity-save-the-day-in-an-aging-world/ # Productivity to the Rescue: Review Article on the McKinsey Global Institute Report Global Growth: Can Productivity Save the Day in an Aging World? [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-30-6-Sharpe.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Sharpe, Andrew. 2016. “Productivity to the Rescue: Review Article on the McKinsey Global Institute Report Global Growth: Can Productivity Save the Day in an Aging World?” International Productivity Monitor, No. 30 (Spring 2016): 98–110. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-30/productivity-to-the-rescue-review-article-on-the-mckinsey-global-institute-report-global-growth-can-productivity-save-the-day-in-an-aging-world/ ## Author: - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## IPM Issue 30 Spring 2016 pp. 98–110 ## Related IPM articles [Is the SNA Still Useful? 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The Canadian Experience Tim Sargent Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 39–53](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/how-does-industrial-policy-impact-output-hours-and-productivity-the-canadian-experience/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This review article provides a synthesis and critical assessment of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report Global Growth: Can Productivity Save the Day in an Aging World? The key stylized fact that motivates the report is the expected fall-off in GDP growth for the G19 and Nigeria from an average annual rate of 3.6 per cent in the 1964-2014 period to a projected 2.1 per cent in the next fifty years (2014-2064). All of this slowdown is due to a fall-off in employment growth and none to slower labour productivity growth. MGI believes that there is great potential to accelerate productivity growth to offset the fall in employment growth and prevent any fall-off in GDP growth. Indeed, the report makes the case that it is feasible, although extremely challenging, to boost productivity growth in the G-19 and Nigeria to 4 per cent a year over the next decade, largely through catch-up to best practices. The report outlines public policies and private sector actions to achieve this target. IT IS WELL RECOGNIZED that in recent Cet article de recension fournit une synthèse et une évaluation critique du rapport du McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) Global Growth: Can Productivity Save the Day in an Aging World? Le fait stylisé clé qui motive le rapport est la baisse attendue de la croissance du PIB pour le G19 et le Nigeria, d’un taux annuel moyen de 3,6 % sur la période 1964-2014 à un taux projeté de 2,1 % au cours des cinquante prochaines années (2014-2064). Tout ce ralentissement est dû à une réduction de la croissance de l’emploi et non à une croissance plus lente de la productivité du travail. Le MGI estime qu’il existe un grand potentiel pour accélérer la croissance de la productivité afin de compenser la baisse de la croissance de l’emploi et d’éviter tout recul de la croissance du PIB. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-30-6-Sharpe.pdf)