The world population has increased rapidly since the Great Depression and World War II. But, over the next few decades, it will grow less than half as swiftly as it did between 1960 and 1990. Birth rates in the world have decreased gradually since the 1970s. We will be facing a baby drought in 2030.
For every baby born nowadays in developed countries, more than nine are being born in the emerging markets and the developing world. Moreover, improvements in nutrition and disease prevention in the poorest parts of the world have made it possible for an increasing number of babies to reach adulthood and become parents themselves. The poorer countries are catching up in life expectancy thanks to lower mortality across all age groups. For this reason, South Asia (including India) will be expected to rank first in population size by 2030. Africa will become the second-largest region, while East Asia(including China) will follow to third place. Europe, which in 1950 was the second largest, will fall to sixth place behind southeast Asia and Latin America.
Women And Babies Rule the World
The number of babies per woman is also falling in the developing countries as time goes by and for the same reason it began to plummet in the developed world two generations ago. Women now enjoy more opportunities outside the household. To seize those opportunities, they remain in school and pursue higher education. This, in turn, means that they postpone childbearing. Women are increasingly determining what happens around the world.
Our Declining Interest in Sex
The greater the number of alternative forms of entertainment that become available to us, the less frequently we engage in sex. In some developed countries, including the United States, rates of sexual activity have been declining over the last few decades. The study concluded that Americans are having sex less frequently due to an increasing number of individuals without a steady or marital partner and a decline in sexual frequency among those with partners.
Money Makes the World Go Round
Money also plays a big factor in our fertility decisions. Many parents nowadays would much rather invest more of their time and resources in a smaller number of children and provide them with the best possible chance to succeed. As Philip Cohen, a sociologist at the Univerisity of Maryland, explains, “We want to invest more in each child to give them the best opportunities to compete in an increasingly unequal environment.”
2030 by Mauro. F Guillen:10~18
