NEARLY EVERY COUNTRY WILL SHRINK BY 2100 DUE TO BIRTH CRISIS: STUDY

Fertility rates in nearly every country will be too low to sustain their populations by the end of this century, a major study has warned.

By 2100, populations in 198 of 204 countries will be shrinking, with most births taking place in poor countries, the study published in the Lancet showed on Monday.

“The implications are immense. These future trends in fertility rates and live births will completely reconfigure the global economy and the international balance of power and will necessitate reorganising societies,” said Natalia V Bhattacharjee, co-lead author and lead research scientist at the IHME.

Dramatic declines in global fertility rates set to transform global population patterns by 2100, new GBD Capstone study suggests.

Explore the data ➡️ https://t.co/Mvc1PyR4F4 pic.twitter.com/xdpSjVLrQJ

— The Lancet (@TheLancet) March 20, 2024

“Global recognition of the challenges around migration and global aid networks are going to be all the more critical when there is fierce competition for migrants to sustain economic growth and as sub-Saharan Africa’s baby boom continues apace.”

The demographic shift will lead to a “baby boom” and “baby bust” divide,  the study’s authors said, where wealthier countries struggle to maintain economic growth and poorer countries grapple with the challenge of how to support their growing populations.

“The huge shift in numbers of births underscores the need to prioritise this region in efforts to lessen the effects of climate change, improve healthcare infrastructure, and continue to reduce child mortality rates, alongside actions to eliminate extreme poverty and ensure that women’s reproductive rights, family planning and education for girls are top priorities for every government.”

The study based its findings on surveys, census data, and other sources of information collected between 1950 and 2021 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, a decades-long collaboration involving more than 8,000 scientists from more than 150 countries.