The Population Decline Thread

[Valmy]

Is population decline really a problem? Given how much resources we are taking from the planet, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if there are fewer people globally anyway.

The issue is it is a cliff and not a gentle slope. Decline is the wrong word to describe what is coming. Collapse would be a better description.

Some countries are going to lose between half and two thirds of their workforce.

Disagree, the dangers of population decline has been overstated. It's not going to be a cliff edge. Too many people are going with the far right narrative that population is going to collapse, which they are using it as a reason to ban abortion, the pill etc and woman's rights in general.

The only person I have seen making this argument for this reason is Elon Musk and it is about not educating women. I haven't heard the anti-abortion crowd get much traction with a pro-natalist argument.

[Valmy]

I don't see much evidence denying abortion increases overall birth rate anyway. Having unwanted children probably reduces future fertility.

[Josquius]

Population decline on a global level is a good thing.
There are indeed too many people in the world and we could do with dropping a few billion.

The trouble is we live in a world of competition where one nations population declining more than another can really shift the balance of power.