AIBU The global fertility crisis is the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced?

[plantsdieinmyhouse]

We’re in a ‘global fertility crisis’.

I’m astounded that global (even UK/European) fertility decline to below the replacement rate of 2.1 (thought to have happened now) isn’t in the forefront of most people’s radar. There are barely even any politicians acknowledging it let alone devising policies to tackle it.

Thee are even people who still think we’re in the 70s/80s/90s and ‘overpopulation’ is still an issue.

Once everyone who’s alone now is dead the human race will be in terminal decline.

Nothing else matters if there’s none of us left!

Even on a personal level a large proportion of women don’t have the number of DCs they expect to.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/43a9bd63-25c9-4941-bc99-fc9f7e42c12a?shareToken=29bf27cb9dafe9af7a006bc25355e411

genuinely couldn’t care less.
Humans are the pits and the sooner we make ourselves extinct the better. We’re destroying the only planet we have to live on, that we share with millions of other species. If we perish it’s not a bad thing.

I'd be very happy for the human race to be the next to become extinct

Yep. When the anti-immigrant brigade wrap their heads around the fact they’re harming their own likelihood of a state supported retirement, they’ll have a decision to make.

Several countries, notably Nigeria, are forecast to grow almost exponentially over the next few decades. We will be begging their able bodied working age people to come to our countries.

I think one of the things we can't ignore is that childbearing and childrearing is so deleterious to many women that opting out is a form of self-protection. It's not just about 'having more me-time' or whatever misogynistic crap the papers like to peddle.

There are real material advantages to women who don't have husbands (better health and happiness) and children (better educational and financial outcomes, with good planning; potentially better health).

How can a government disincentivise those things? We get one lifetime, it is going to be very hard to say to a cohort of well-educated, happy women: please disadvantage yourselves so that your offspring can pay tax.

Yes, this.

I’m early 30s and none of my close friends want children, for a number of reasons! I don’t see how the burden of saving the planet falls on us though 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you have dc out of interest?

I doubt anti-immigration weirdos can ever be rational about it, even in the service of their own best interest. Their beliefs about immigration aren't based on anything rational, they're based on racist and xenophobic fear, which can override even self interest.

DD is 21 - her generation cannot afford to have kids, it’s that simple. There are huge amounts of young adults these days forced to live with their parents as rent has become so extortionate. Buying a house is totally out of reach for most. I know of mums who would love to go back to work but cannot afford it as childcare costs are so high. Add in the cost of food, utilities etc and it’s no wonder that the birth rate has taken such a sharp decline

@plantsdieinmyhouse

@Myrobalanna has explained it concisely.

We don't need more humans. We need to better manage our resources.

I think the scaremongering on the right is despicable. It's just deflecting from the real issues.

And yes, Gilead.

I don't think people didn't understand. We're not all stupider than you

Yes any reduction in fertility is going to result in a short to medium teem population bulge in the elderly. So the sooner we can tackle aging more healthily the better. Japan, from what I've seen, manages this quite well.

In this country, we persist in eating crap, doing no exercise, indulging in unhealthy behaviours, then expecting the state to look after us for an unspecified number of years. Why, in their everlasting "reforming the NHS", isn't the junk food industry properly tackled, and proper investment made in aging well so that the population is mobile and stronger and sharper (and less expensive) for more of their lifespan?

There are far too many humans to be sustainable and we are destroying the world. Any population decline is more likely to lead to humanity continuing otherwise we will self-destruct.

I read this, or similar, all the time and I can't help thinking that no rhinoceros or elephant is ever going to create anything to rival the Sistine Chapel. Humans are deeply flawed and endlessly fallible, but also infinitely more creative than any other species. So you are wrong IMO.

It's a massive issue, yes.

As a short term solution, we desperately need the current oldest generation to fund their own care by selling their assets.

We've not had kids. So many people we know have only had one and wont be having a second. Only one of my friends at primary school was an only child. Now in certain areas, most classes will comprise only children.

It's unsolvable long term though. No country has managed to reverse it. The Scandinavian countries have excellent family friendly policies, but have a declining birth rate. Russia gives women 2 years of full salary as a cash lump sum to have a second child, but has a declining birth rate. It's like the genie is out of the bottle and there's no getting it back in.

Once sub-saharan Africa's birth rate declines, there won't be one country on earth with a growing population.

The book Empty Planet breaks down the consequences (but be mindful of the slightly biased religious undertones from the authors).

"brusque yet charming" hahahahaha

Exactly what I was going to say!

You’re mistaken in the first half of your post! We need more younger people than old- that’s exactly the point!
bang on in the second.

Surely you're not implying that that creativity matters so much that it makes it justifiable for us to destroy the planet and all the other species on it?
Humans suck. When it comes down to to the survival of an ecosystem our ability to paint and write books doesn't mean bugger all.

I do think its a major issue, particularly because actions needed to help address it will not be popular.

Having the winter fuel allowance be means tested was such a source of outrage that Labour felt it needed to u-turn...slashing or scrapping the state pension is not going to down well, but it'll likely need to happen in our lifetimes.

This is going to be the bigger problem, way, way bigger, it actually keeps me up at night sometimes.

The world is going to look quite different even in 25 years.

That was immediate first thought!

I can’t help thinking that no rhinoceros or elephant is ever going to create anything to rival, say, nuclear weapons, or greenhouse gases, or leaded fuel.

I tend to think much the same!

It is possible that some of the factors causing the fertility rate to drop will find an equilibrium or invert.

For example, in lots of “developed” countries, we accept housing is far too expensive. Lots of young people can’t move out, that is a factor pulling down the fertility rate.

As the working population decreases, house price demand might drop, causing house prices to reduce. Wages might increase to attract the workers that are available. More people will be able to buy homes. The fertility rate might tick up.

It is all ifs, buts and maybes. Good long term policy around supply of labour/housing would also adjust our demographic fortunes.