I'm pretty skeptical of the populist conservative idea that low fertility is somehow a sign of societal failure. By the middle of this century, it's quite plausible that you have a shortage of young, educated workers on a global scale. And obviously then it's impossible for the world to fix it by immigration. You can only move those workers from one country to another. Pro-family policies supporting parents, offering childcare subsidies and so on are somewhat disappointing record when people have studied their effects.
Fertility rates are falling to worrying levels, and an older, smaller, global population is bad news for economic growth. Apple’s new headset could revolutionise the virtual reality world, but only if it sells. And, despite being in decline for decades, the tide is turning for Britain’s seaside towns.
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