Noahpinion • 30176 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
- Fertility rates are collapsing across many countries, creating shrinking and rapidly aging populations that threaten economic productivity, public finances, and the upkeep of infrastructure.
- Common reassurances—higher productivity, automation, immigration, or baby‑bonus payments—are uncertain or insufficient and won’t reliably reverse the trend without huge cost or social disruption.
- We urgently need a large, well‑funded research effort (observational studies, RCTs, technological and public‑health trials) supported by governments and major donors to find practical, scalable ways to stabilize fertility near replacement.