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Australians must become more productive or risk losing their famously relaxed lifestyle as the population ages and the workforce shrinks. That’s the warning from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

While Australians were urged in the past to "populate or perish", Rudd said the country now needs to boost productivity as the population becomes increasingly elderly and the tax revenue from workers falls.

"It is productivity growth that must play the central role in building Australia's future economic growth," Rudd said in Melbourne late on Monday.

It is estimated that Australia's population will grow from the current 22 million to 36 million by 2050, thanks to surging birth rates and rising immigration.

At the same time, increasing life expectancy means the proportion of those citizens aged 65 or over will jump to almost one in four by that time.

These demographics mean that public finances will be burdened with the increased costs of looking after the elderly, Rudd said.

（中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant. She came to China from the United States.