Abstract Summary/Description
Since the midpoint of the 20th century, the world’s population has rapidly increased, reaching its growth rate peak of 2.2% in the late 1960s. This rapid worldwide population growth has always been considered a problem for most governments and international institutions, as it could cause economic issues and demographic pressure. As a result, in response to global population growth, countries have implemented measures and policies to monitor their respective population size. These measures and policies have been proven effective as the world population growth and fertility rates have progressively declined. However, the decline in fecundity we are now observing also appears problematic, as it is dangerously approaching the sub-replacement fertility–defined as a rate of 2.1 children per woman. If fertility keeps declining globally, the world will inevitably face a labor shortage and population aging, which, in turn, will lead to the dislocation of pension systems. Consequently, this paper contends that governments around the world should urgently turn their attention to this issue of fertility decline, arguing that conventional solutions, such as immigration, will not neutralize its consequences, as declining fecundity is a global challenge. The paper also discusses several policy suggestions for coping with this worldwide fertility issue.
