Should we be concerned about low birth rates in the most developed countries?

“Societies experiencing falling birth rates and an increasing elderly population will eventually need to shift resources and labour from caring for the young to caring for the elderly. This means that daycare centres and schools may be repurposed into nursing homes and care facilities,” [Rannveig Kaldager Hart] says.

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“This kind of development could, in turn, make it more inconvenient to have kids,” says Hart.

Should we be looking for solutions to low population growth? In several countries, governments have tried to encourage people to have more children by offering financial benefits to families.

[Eirin] Pedersen believes similar measures in Norway could have some effect, but she emphasises that the most important thing is to create a society where more people feel secure about having children – without external pressure. “The idea of always focusing on growth is misguided. People should have children when it suits them. Many are born into situations with little support or assistance,” she says.

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