Social integration is essential for the entire population to participate in the development process, otherwise the demographic bonus will be lost. As a result of a failure to plan well for integration, once the demographic dividend ends a country faces the burden of an ageing population in a situation of weak social and economic development. With the dependency burden on working-age adults increasing, the focus needs to shift towards increasing labour force participation by providing training and more job opportunities for women, persons with disabilities and older persons. Social integration issues can and do coexist with high per capita incomes and an absence of poverty.