The Cause of Population Decline Cannot be Denied

 

What will the world be like when its population stops growing and begins to decline. I suppose its accurate to say none of us cares so much about what the world will be like as we care about what it will be like for us or for those family members who will be alive when that time comes. 

When societies were agrarian, children made a positive contribution to a families' standard of living. They worked in the fields as soon as they were able. More children meant more money. Now children are an expense much larger than any income they might bring into the family. More children reduce the standard of living of a family. There are other social science theories, religious and cultural values, etc., all play some role in the number of children but surely economics I'm convinced economics remains the largest factor.   

If I'm correct it is economics that drives the birth rate to be lower than the rate of death, it seems inevitable there will be a large drop in world population. Being an old person myself, I notice who those people are who perform the work needed by old people. They, of course, are people younger than me. This raises the logical question of how will old people in the future fare if there are fewer young people to care for them?

The link concludes "technology" will have to pick up the care-for-the-old piece. This is consistent with the economics of an aging population. These economics will require lower costs and less labor for taking care of the old.  

Anti-abortion zealots claim abortion rights are to blame for the declining birth rate and the problems caused by fewer young people. The coming population decline will not be from abortion rights. It will come from the high price of raising children and the low to no revenue to family budgets from the children. Choices by women to have fewer children will be criticized by religious people but that will not change the fact women are worse off having more children.