Without Babies

Demographics, statistical data of a population, is now a popular subject. It's gone from a narrow slice of esoteric interest all the way to a global concern.  Incredibly, we've gone from a prediction of too many people (The Population Bomb of the 1970's) to worrying about much fewer people.

Japan's birthrate is only 1.39 babies per woman, far below the necessary birthrate just to maintain a population (2.1).

A NY Times article last December reports that rural towns in Japan are bereft of young people, that typically over half of the residents are more than 65 years old!  Culture will change, it's inevitable.

When there's only two people under the age of 65 for every one over the age of 65, that's potentially quite a burden on the working one or two.

I've reserved a new book, What to Expect When No One's Expecting.  It opens with a quote from the Prime Minister of Hungary:

"If you are not able to maintain yourself biologically, how do you expect to maintain yourself economically, politically, and militarily?  It's impossible.  The answer of letting people from other countries come in . . that could be an economic solution, but it's not a solution of your real sickness, that you are not able to maintain your own civilization."