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aging
November 2008 
The Global Baby Bust
Posted on May 7th, 2007
by 
Vivek
Vivek
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20040501faessay83307/phillip-longman/the-global-baby-bust.html
A fascinating (though long) article on the massive global decline in fertility rates.
A couple interesting facts from the article:
1. Mexico will be older than the US by 2050
2. In addition the worlds overall fertility rate may be below the replacement level by that point.
3. Japan's population peaked in 2005 and is about to crash.
4. The greatest recent fertility declinces have been in the Middle East (I found this very surprising)
How populations cope with ever smaller workforces and ever greater numbers of elderly will
not be a straightforward thing. The author also contends (with some evidence) that aging populations tend to be much less entrepeneurial and innovative than younger populations.
On the bright side: the author suggests that the dramatic aging could also coincide with a fall in extremism and violence as middle aged societies tend to be more concerned with the immediate and the practical
A fascinating (though long) article on the massive global decline in fertility rates.
A couple interesting facts from the article:
1. Mexico will be older than the US by 2050
2. In addition the worlds overall fertility rate may be below the replacement level by that point.
3. Japan's population peaked in 2005 and is about to crash.
4. The greatest recent fertility declinces have been in the Middle East (I found this very surprising)
How populations cope with ever smaller workforces and ever greater numbers of elderly will
not be a straightforward thing. The author also contends (with some evidence) that aging populations tend to be much less entrepeneurial and innovative than younger populations.
On the bright side: the author suggests that the dramatic aging could also coincide with a fall in extremism and violence as middle aged societies tend to be more concerned with the immediate and the practical
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