Videographic: Global fertility

[getpregnantwithpcos]

Like your video. Thanks for sharing.

[Zaryushka]

Finally something optimistic :)

[redarrowhead2]

@Zaryushka There isn't really anything optimistic here. It didn't exactly show that European nations will have stable growth rates so the future will simply be one with a shrinking europe and a larger asia and africa.

[Zaryushka]

@redarrowhead2 I didn't actually said that. But it does give some hope for the future for humanity as a whole.

As for Europe, if its population shrinks but at the same time it is not flooded with millions of uneducated refugees, it can remain a peaceful and rich region - thanks to technology, which can help sustain the economy with a smaller population (Look at Japan, instead of replacing their population with migrants they invest in technology). I think Europe is already overpopulated!

[martinbartinfargo]

There is absolutely no evidence in this video that falling fertility rates are the cause of rising incomes (it's likely the relationship is the other way around; richer societies need fewer children to support them), nor that having fertility below replacement rate is, ipso facto, a good thing.

An attractive and descriptive video, but low on analysis.

[anozir]

You make a good point, it seems to show more correlative effects of GDP per capita on fertility rates. The causation of decreased of fertility is most likely due to a myriad of variables ranging from less cheap labor required as societies are becoming more mechanized to (the stated) more educated female population demanding more contraception.

[Jtomo1987]

@anozir You see in poorer countries many more women act as home-keepers and mothers, whereas in the west a great deal of women work themselves and are independent, motherhood is no longer the only route for women in developed societies.

[francisbacon87]

@martinbartinfargo Well we can not talk about "causes" but probably they referred to "statistical correlation" between low rates and rising incomes. Cuasality implies correlation but not necessarily correlation implies causality. The whole world have problems with this distinction, for example, doctors are always talking about the "causes" of some diseases when those are not true... and we the economists belief we are the doctors of the Economy haha.