Chart of the week archive

Demographic headwinds are set to weaken economic growth in OECD countries over the coming decades. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) provides opportunities for productivity gains, potentially alleviating labour shortages and boosting economic growth. However, little is known about how ageing may affect AI deployment and its economic impact. Workers’ overall exposure to AI (automation and augmentation) exhibits an inverted U-shaped pattern across age groups, albeit less pronounced when controlling for education, occupation and country. Exposure to automation is higher in younger age groups and declines rapidly with age, as experience tends to complement AI. Nevertheless, as a general-purpose technology, AI is bound to be disruptive. Reaping its benefits will require labour market reallocation, reskilling and upskilling, and business dynamism and innovation, which may all be weaker in ageing societies.

Read the paper:
A potential boost from AI in ageing societies: Early insights,  July 2026
by Christophe André and Matthias Schief

Read the blog:
A potential boost from AI in ageing societies: Early insights, July 2026

Disruptions to energy supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed up global energy prices for the past several months and policymakers are looking beyond household income and firm size as criteria to better target energy support measures. The OECD Energy Support Measures Tracker 2026 reveals that mobility needs, energy vulnerability, and other exposure factors, such as age and family composition are being considered alongside low-income to target especially vulnerable households. While sector-based exposure for transport and other energy-intensive industries alongside financial vulnerability have been the focus of support for firms. 

Explore the OECD Energy Support Measures Tracker 2026.

Planned capital expenditure by major technology and cloud-computing companies continues to rise rapidly. Current investment plans imply expectations of substantial future earnings, especially for semiconductor producers.  

Read the report:
Interim Economic Outlook, September 2026.

France’s public debt has risen sharply, from around 65% of GDP in 2007 to over 115% during the COVID-19 crisis. After declining to 110% in 2023, it is rising again and could reach 200% of GDP by 2050 without policy adjustment.  Borrowing costs have also increased, with the 10-year government bond yield rising above 4.5% and the spread over German bonds reaching its widest level since 2012.  Public debt interest expenditure, at 2.2% of GDP in 2025, could approach 5% by 2050 — almost equivalent to today’s education budget.  Rising debt and borrowing costs are narrowing fiscal space, weighing on investment and growth, and making public finances increasingly difficult to stabilise. 

Read the chapter: 
Putting public finances on a sustainable path while boosting long-term growth, OECD Economic Surveys: France 2026

Read the blog: 
France’s public finances: Reducing debt without compromising growth, Ecoscope blog, September 2026

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz prevented nearly 3 billion barrels of oil from passing through the Strait by end-August, equivalent to roughly one month of global oil consumption. Despite the scale of the disruption, markets absorbed much of the shock through demand and supply adjustments. Lower demand, partly reflecting higher prices and weaker Chinese imports, accounted for a significant share of the adjustment. On the supply side, oil was rerouted around the Strait, production increased elsewhere and inventories were drawn down. Together, these adjustments cushioned an exceptionally large disruption to global oil supply.

More on the risks and challenges facing the global economy, Interim Economic Outlook, September 2026