The hottest Demography Substack posts right now

Humanity faces a big problem with declining population and aging, which is not getting enough attention. As birth rates drop, we risk having fewer young people to support our growing older population.
The U.S. now relies heavily on immigration to maintain its population. Many other parts of the world are experiencing the same low birth rate trends, making future immigration uncertain.
Fertility rates are continuously declining globally, and no one knows how to stop this trend. A smaller, older population could threaten the quality of life and economic stability.

Africa's population is growing quickly and will represent a large part of the world in the future. It's important for the rest of the world to pay attention to this change.
Ignoring Africa's potential problems could lead to bigger issues later on. We may need to think about ways to help cope with possible crises.
Instead of only debating about challenges in Africa, we should start thinking of solutions now. Preparing early can help everyone in the future.

Many women want to have more children than they currently do. Policymakers should focus on helping them achieve their desired family size instead of just worrying about low birth rates.
People often say they want more government spending until they realize it means higher taxes. The same might apply to how people think about having kids; mentioning costs could change their responses about how many kids they want.
It's possible that people are having fewer kids not just because they want to, but because they misunderstand things like genetics and the costs of raising children. Adjusting tax policies might encourage families to have more children.

Women tend to prefer taller men, which has influenced men's height and weight growth over time.
Pro-natal arguments focus on why society should encourage having children, with the belief that being a grandparent can bring joy and reduce loneliness in old age.
Religious rituals historically supported family and community bonding, so new secular celebrations could help promote marriage and childbirth today.

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Lady Macbeth's childlessness raises interesting questions about family and succession in Shakespeare's plays. It's not just about how many kids she had, but why children are such a big deal in the story.
In the past, having many children was common, especially among the wealthy, but it often led to struggles for social standing. Too many kids could mean fewer resources and competition for inheritance among siblings.
Shakespeare's comedies often show families with one or two children, creating more opportunity for social mobility. In contrast, his tragedies frequently highlight the issues and conflicts that arise with larger families.

Infanticide was a common practice in many historical societies when families couldn't care for all their children. It often happened without legal punishment, especially against unwanted infants.
Although Christianity introduced strong taboos against infanticide, it might not have completely stopped the practice. Evidence suggests that infanticide, particularly sex-selective infanticide, still occurred in Europe despite its legal prohibition.
Infanticide impacts literature by influencing themes of abandonment and family dynamics. Many classic stories use these themes to convey deeper truths about society and the struggles people faced.

There will be a Zoom talk about worldwide fertility decline. It's a chance to learn about why it's happening and what could be done about it.
The talk is happening on January 20 at 8:45 PM New York time. Attendees can join and ask questions after the discussion.
The event is for paid subscribers, and the conversation may be recorded for later viewing on YouTube.

India's malapportionment in electoral constituencies is severe, leading to a lack of adherence to the principle of 'one person, one vote'.
The freezing of seat allocations in India based on 1971 census data has led to unequal representation, particularly impacting economically disadvantaged regions.
Potential solutions include redesigning the Rajya Sabha based on revenue-raising capacity, moving towards a fully decentralized fiscal system, and increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to uphold the 'one person, one vote' principle.