Category: Under population

There are a number of Iranians living in the Toronto area. Getting to know them has been educational. One of the oldest civilizations in the world. Exploding in population at the time of their revolution in 1979, but a society today in decline.

Another developed nation facing population decline. But here the issues are high mortality, a poor public health system and high levels of emigration. A great power sustained through exports of LNG.

China had a fertility rate of 2.9 children per woman in 1979, but today it is closer to 1.5. And this is despite government efforts t encourage child birth. The relative collapse of China’s population has huge economic, social and political implications.

It seems all the nations of Eastern Europe are facing major population declines. The most serious being Bulgaria. And even today this means a collapse of the countryside with empty building and the closing of the shops. A mobile grocery service calls three times a week.

Spain, like Italy, is facing major population declines looking into the future. This implies pressure on its economy to fund the pensions of an aging society, and cultural pressures integrating a growing immigrant population from Africa.

A nation like Japan with a declining population. Not just more deaths than births but net negative immigration. Tough funding the pensions and health care of an aging society when you lack young taxpayers. The famous Italian culture is at risk.