Published 2 hours ago • loading... • Updated 2 hours ago
Study: Global Fertility Falls Below Replacement for First Time
The model covers 236 countries and territories and finds fertility declines in 219, with a global replacement rate near 2.20, researchers said.
Researchers argue humanity may have already dropped below replacement fertility, with global population potentially peaking around 2056 at nine billion, nearly three decades earlier than the United Nations' central forecast.
Sixty-Four countries and territories had already passed peak population by 2026 according to United Nations estimates, with many high-income nations maintaining growth only through immigration.
A study of 37 countries found a 9.3 percent shortfall compared with United Nations projections, with Colombia, South Africa, and Thailand recording births significantly below expectations.
Economists debate whether record-low fertility rates represent a temporary dip or a permanent new normal, with some pointing to smartphones as a contributing factor.
Societies approaching one retiree for every worker face significant distributional challenges as populations decline, with experts warning that low fertility will reshape global demographics through the century's end.