Are we facing a population collapse?

Washington Post

2 days ago

Falling birth rates have policymakers around the world worried. How well do you know the numbers driving the discussion? Take our quiz.
Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. for the best experience.
Violent disorder on the streets. Mass starvation. War over scarce resources. Those were some of the potential consequences of the big fear that once preoccupied the media and the public — runaway population growth.
That fear has flipped in recent years. Now the alarm is being sounded about population collapse, as women are having fewer babies both in the U.S. and globally. The proposed reasons for that are mixed: More access to education, workplace empowerment, financial anxiety, cultural shifts and a dramatic decline in childhood mortality. Political leaders worry it will lead to labor shortages, overtaxed retirement programs and a less dynamic society, but so far, policy responses in various countries such as new benefits for parents haven't worked.
But how well-founded are fears over fertility? Take our quiz and see if your own views are up-to-date.
Story continues below advertisement
Advertisement