Last week we referenced an article in The Economist about Japan’s struggle in adapting to an aging, shrinking population. There’s speculation that Japan’s situation is a preview of what many other developed countries will face in the not-to-distant future. That last sentenced should be edited, though, to remove “developed.” As this engaging stats presentation from last year’s TED conference shows, most of the countries in the world are headed in the direction of longer lifespans and lower fertility rates (the part in question starts at 2:30, but the whole thing is worth a look):
Maybe babies are on their way to becoming an luxury item for everyone.
-Greg Dahlmann