Why is it such a big deal if the population falls in a country?

Question

What is with all the incentives to have children and stuff. So there are less people. I don't see how that is a bad thing, its a good thing really. So whats the deal?

Answer 1

This is probably my most favorite topic of them all. Thanks for the question!

Here's why falling birth rates are so destructive around the globe. Take Italy, they have resorted to basically giving couples about $1,000 a month for their third or fourth children. In Italy, the fertility rate of women is about 1.2. This means that every generation Italians are halving themselves. To keep population stable you need 2.1 kids per woman.

Why is it a problem? Because modern industrialized economies are centered around welfare and government entitlements. So, let's say that 35% of every Italian's paycheck is taken out for pension taxes. Right now he is, like in the United States, not bank-rolling money for his pension. Instead, he is paying into the system for his grandparents' generation. And that young Italian will only have about one child there will only be about half as many young Italians to pay his pension when he's a senior citizen.

It works the same for universalized health care. In Britain right now there are massive cuts to the NHS (national health systems) because there are soooo many seniors. The number is expected to increase in 50 years with the young people today. Except, in 50 years there will not be enough replacement workers to pay into that single-payer system.

So these European countries have a choice: either privatize away from single-payer welfare or scrounge up workers from other countries. There is an abundant supply in North Africa and the Middle East. In other words, for all the kids that Europeans are not having there is a Muslim eager to come on in. There are projections out that France, Belgium, and the Netherlands will be predominantly Muslim in 50 years. Already in Belgium the top baby name for boys (in the whole country) is Mohammed. Not Jacques. Mohammed! These immigrants are not assimilating, either. You can see from the daily news from Europe that Muslims are asking Europe to cater to their preferences rather than assimilating into the mainstream British or French or whatever culture.

Now lets say that fifty years from now France is 55% Muslim. What sort of laws do you expect to be passed? Muslims, as surveys indicate, if they had the chance to pass laws would try to set up a Sharia-law-like state. They don't recognize important western values like democracy, pluralism, tolerance, etc. That's why Holland actually has a net loss in migration to and from its contry. The Dutch are fleeing the Netherlands like there's a war or something.

Well, in fact, there is a war of sorts. Thus far its only a bloodless culture war. But you can see from the rhetoric of both increasingly popular far-right natiionalist parties and the Muslim leaders that there will be blood eventually. The question is when?

Answer 2

France wants to raise the amount of full blooded French people in their country; I think they pay people if they have 3 or more kids and they're fully French.

On the other hand, doesn't China want their families to remain to 2 parents and 2 children?

It's really a matter of where you are. Some countries are overpopulated and need a decrease in population. Other countries have a very low population and need more people. Then there's the countries that want more people just to have more people.

In the U.S., I think a decrease in the population would be good; especially in my town. Can you say overcrowded times 3? Yeah. People need to spread out and not crowd into one place; then we can all live happily ever after... or at least live happily with space to move.

Answer 3

I think it's because if you have less people in a country, the economy goes down (less people to buy things). I'm sure someone else will explain that better.

Answer 4

The strength of a nation is within its youth. If you don't have a large young persons pool to draw from then you won't have a very big military.

Answer 5

primarily this is about the economy, and ensuring those who are too old to work are still able to be cared for by those younger than them.