EconAir

  INTRODUCTION   Japan gets special consideration because it is further along the declining population curve than any other large country. It has the oldest population (highest average age) in the world. It has one of the world's lowest birth rates. Unless there are major changes in healthcare technology, immigration, public policy, and birth rates, most industrialized countries will follow Japan down the path of declining and aging populations, and smaller labor forces. Japan's birth rate is about half the replacement rate. This has continued for decades. By 2100, Japan’s population will decline by about 50%. Over 40% of the country’s population will be over 65 years old. The number of deaths will be substantially higher than the number of births. The number of children will be less than half the current number.   Japan's demographics and immigration have become major political issues. In the July 2025 elections, two right-wing parties made substantial gains ag...

  City Life for Most Residents Before reading this essay and related essays on demographics and population projections, you might want to start with an introduction: Introduction to Demographics and Global Population Projections   SUMMARY Global population has more than doubled since 1970, going from 3.7 billion to the current (November, 2023) total of 8.0 billion ( UN numbers ). The  Lancet  long-term projection is that world population will peak around 9.7 billion in the 2060s and then begin to decline, reaching around 8.8 billion people in 2100.   In the most recent United Nations projection (2024), global population is expected to peak at about 10.3 billion sometime in the 2080s and then fall to 10.2 billion in 2100. By 2030,  1.4 billion  people will be over the age of 60, with low- and middle-income countries accounting for 80% of older populations. About 25% of the total will be in China. This number is equal to China's or India's total populat...