Experts sound alarm on falling global fertility rates
Newsy
One researcher said, "Reliance on open immigration will become necessary to sustain economic growth."
Global fertility rates are projected to fall through the rest of the 21st century, and experts say these declines will "completely reconfigure the global economy and the international balance of power."
According to a study published Wednesday in the Lancet, about 75% of countries will not have high enough fertility rates in 2050 to sustain their population size over time. The study notes that just six out of 204 countries will have a fertility rate that sustains their population size by 2100.
The report says that better access to contraception and sex education in low-income countries are major reasons many nations will see a decrease in fertility rates.
The study also projects that nearly half of all live births in the world will occur in sub-Saharan Africa by 2100.
Generally, countries need to have a fertility rate of 2.1 children per person to sustain generational replacement.
