The Population Implosion

 The global population is now expected to peak in the 2080s and start declining by end of the century. The world’s population quadrupled in the 20th century due to high fertility rates and increasing life spans which created the fear of overpopulation explosion. But that upward trend is predicted to go into reverse by the start of the next century.

 Evidence of this has already been seen in several countries. The US has seen birth rates decline 20% between 2007 and 2020. In China, the fertility rate now stands at 1.16, barely half the average of 2.1 births required to maintain its population level. In 2020 the UK’s rate fell to 1.58 children per woman.  The average age a British woman has her first child has risen from 26.5 years old in 2000 to 29.1 in 2020. 

Falling birth rates have now become the "population problem".

An ageing population results in fewer workers and an increased number of dependents. This could mean a “drain on resources”.  With a shortage of younger people there will be less funds for pensions and, in addition, an ageing population will cause further strain on the welfare and social services. However, projections on the impact of declining birth rates are often unreliable. Estimates are poorly equipped to account for technological and environmental shocks that could cause demographic swings such as the growing impact of climate change.

Alarmed by falling birth rates, the Chinese government has released guidelines to encourage fertility and reduce the nation’s abortions. Singapore has also attempted direct action, employing a range of measures from a service offering advice about married life to a “baby bonus scheme”, whereby couples are offered cash to have second and third children. In Poland, efforts are also being made to lower the financial burden for young parents. Since 2016, parents have been offered 500 zloty (£89) per child per month as part of the government’s family programme. However, after an initial boost, the birth rate is roughly back to where it was.

What declining birth rates mean for our future | The Week UK