Spermageddon, ‘greedy jobs’ and abject fear: why birth rates are plummeting
The author of Generation Maybe, Camilla Cavendish, explains the many reasons people are having fewer children, from dating apps to unaffordable housing and the climate crisis
TL;DR
- Global fertility rates are at historic lows, comparable only to the Black Death in the 14th century.
- Factors contributing to low birth rates include the 'romance famine,' 'greedy jobs,' lack of affordable housing, and fear of parenting.
- Societal anxieties, including climate change and a general pessimism about the future, play a significant role.
- Immigration can potentially alleviate population decline, but some countries face a dual crisis of depopulation and immigration challenges.
- Cavendish emphasizes that the decision to have children is deeply intertwined with love, environment, climate, housing, and inequality, all contributing to a pervasive sense of pessimism.