[ta1243]

But the ratio of workers:non-worker is reducing

Population of 18-65s and percent of total population

2008: 39.2m, 63.4%

2018: 40.9m, 61.6%

2028: 41.3m, 59.3%

2038: 41.3m, 57.2%

Given that tax relies heavily on taxing working people, and the number of working people, and that immigrants tend to be of working age, immigration is essential in stemming the retiree-centric population.

The other alternative would be to swing more of the economy to looking after non-workers (mainly the over 65s), but we won't tax those people despite the massive wealth they have.

[vcdimension]

Not sure how much immigration is really needed; due to improvements in healthcare, working conditions, and machinery, the length of time for which people are able to stay in active work and contribute positively to the economy is increasing at a comparable rate. France has a higher proportion of young people, and yet lower immigration. Why? Could it be that the decision to have children is correlated with population density?