Population Decline: Crisis or Opportunity?

The world’s population may have recently topped 8 billion for the first time, but where the worries were once about the world becoming too crowded, now the concern is about a drop in global fertility rates.

There are very real fears that a shrinking, ageing population could be catastrophic for the global economy and its healthcare systems. But some experts argue that there might in fact be an upside to population decline – especially when it comes to the earth’s natural resources.

In this episode of The Agenda, Juliet Mann speaks to Stephen J Shaw, data scientist, demographer and Director of the documentary "Birthgap - Childless World", Peter Elwin - Director of Fixed Income & Head of Food & Land Use Programme at Planet Tracker, Haleh Nazeri, Longevity Economy lead at the World Economic Forum and Dr Jennifer Sciubba - demographics expert and author of the book "8 billion and counting: How sex, death and migration shape our world”.

Watch #TheAgenda in full and find out more at:

[Stoddardian]

Corporations and governments are terrified that they're going to run out of wage, debt, and tax slaves.

[localguy]

You want kids, increase my pathetic wages and reduce my 60 hour workweek hours.

[GenK]

How do you expect women to want to have more kids when childcare is more money than a mortgage, raising a child from 0-18 is about $250k usd, and women are now required to work in order to sustain the household??

[derek]

“If this society wants more children, they have to figure out ways of giving people like me more money”

[scottdavis]

It's an Opportunity. We need less people. My wife and I have no kids. It's better.

[GrooveStreetLife]

There are too many "excess", "unnecessary" people over there

[haleyhowell]

No countries come out of it because the people who have the responsibility of shaping the bounds of society won't ever listen when the society they are shaping screams out: we can't afford anything!

[noiseshapes]

growth has been behind most of us for decades, except of course for the rich.

[ericjennings]

90 to 95 percent of women wanted to have a child during their childbearing years i think this is a bit high around here a lot of women dont want to have children at all

[jerseykevin]

On top of that, I grew up in a emptyish town, post factory... It was lonely, very lonely... None of you will actually enjoy the population decrease. As it decreases your depression will increase.

[paranoah]

Most people talking about India have no idea about the cultural importance placed on having children that still exists here.

The biggest reason fertility rates are reducing in India is because of infertility. There is so much pollution and food adulteration here causing skyrocketing infertility especially in cities ans crowded towns, which incidentally, is because of the population itself

[peterbedford]

The market for people is declining. About time

[shannonsexton]

Gender equality? Well I am all for it and increasing paid parental leave, etc. But to claim low birth rates are due to a lack is a stretch... it wasn't too long ago that birth control wasn't even an option, or opting out of marriage. Celebrate the progress people ✨️ 💪 🎉

[NestIeCrunch]

In the 80's it was, "oh no we're going to be overpopulated" and Euthanasia!
Now it's, "oh no we are gonna have a population collapse!"

It's like, pick a struggle! 🤨

[farinshore]

Less people = less highly processed foods

[navegantezen]

It’s very good that we are coming to an equilibrium. With our planet and its resources. All successful organic species have a constant population in a given context. Nothing bad with that.
An older human population will signify that we will have more knowledge, prudence and wisdom and less desire to conquest through wars.

[Vanedis]

Countries try to get old people to work longer. But few talk about getting young people into the workforce earlier. The schooling and education system takes around 20 years (assuming a Master), so many are 25 or older before they start a job. Could we do something about the education system to get young people into the workforce faster?

[BEACHDUDE]

It's too expensive for children and it won't get better

[willliamking]

Increased toxic wastes (plastics etc.) combined with cuts in medical services led to an increase in the percentages of people reaching the age of 100--entirely predictable.

[InfiniteIAM-GospelRap]

Sorry guys it's worse then that. Humanity has 18 days before the great reset. The world population peak was in 2018 at 9.176b ppl. Now we at 1750million world wide with 10million ppl dying a day since COVID began. Every country world wide Japan, China India all has drop to extinction lvls when then then the world with most populated countries including south and central America. All you have to do is open your eyes and see there ain't as much ppl in your home town as there used to be