The upshot: Investors seeking to mitigate the negative effects of aging populations should steer clear of Europe and Japan-particularly the latter, which the report warns is a place investors "should avoid at all costs."
The U.S. is in better demographic shape thanks to its healthy immigration rates, though the report cautions the country faces serious economic risk from burgeoning entitlement programs that could eventually sop up all other government spending.
As for China as an investment option, iShares appears to be agnostic-it merely points out that the country is more demographically challenged than its emerging market brethren, largely because of its long-standing one-child policy.
For folks looking to ride the demographic wave, the report says investors should consider equities in Brazil, Mexico, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Philanthropy Hangs In There
Despite tough economic times, charitable giving hasn't fallen off a cliff, according to the Giving USA: 2012 Annual Report on Philanthrophy.
The report paints a mixed picture, though: Giving by individuals rose an estimated 3.9% in 2011 to $217.79 billion and bequests rose 12.2% to $24.41 billion. Foundation donations, meanwhile, increased just 1.8% to $41.67 billion and corporate donations held steady at $14.55 billion.
According to the Giving USA report, total charitable giving grew by an average of 2.6% in the past 40 years, adjusted for inflation, in the two-year period after each recession. By comparison, giving grew by an average rate of only 1.1% for 2010 and 2011.
Individuals accounted for the vast majority of estimated gifts in 2011-73% of total giving. When giving by bequests and family foundations are added, the total share of giving by American households increases to 88%.
However, individual giving as a percentage of people's disposable personal income remained flat at 1.9% in 2011, the same as in 2009 and 2010.
Corporate contributions were basically the same as revised 2010 figures. Corporate pretax profits-traditionally a key factor in corporate donation levels-grew a modest 4.2% in 2011 compared with 25% in 2010.
The study showed a marked increase in giving to donor-advised funds (DAFs), which supports the findings of the National Philanthropic Trust's (NPT) annual Donor-Advised Fund Report that reviews the DAF marketplace.
Eileen Heisman, CEO of Jenkintown, Pa.-based NPT, which hosted the event where the Giving USA report was released, said the 2012 report demonstrates that charity is still a high priority for many U.S. households.