If current trends continue, the last South Korean will die in 2750.

Korea’s fertility rate is 0.72 children per woman, the lowest in the world. But nearly every developed country is below the replacement rate of 2.1.

The United States is at just 1.66. And although most of us are unaware, fertility is collapsing even in the developing world.

The global baby bust is the focus of the book Empty Planet.

What’s Wrong with Korea?

It’s not hard to understand why Korean women aren’t having babies.

When an employer in Korea finds out a woman is pregnant, he usually fires her. Most Koreans live in the Seoul area, where apartments are tiny and expensive.

Facing discrimination and the high cost of city living, it’s no wonder Korean women are having just one child, if any.

It’s Not Just the Rich Countries

One of the biggest untold stories today is that fertility is also collapsing in the developing world.

Take India. Where could be more traditional than that, right?

Yet India’s fertility has fallen below replacement rates and currently sits at 2.01 children per woman. Mexico is at 1.8. Brazil is even lower than the US, at 1.63.

In many developing countries, sterilization has become common.

After a couple of children, many women in India and Brazil undergo tubal ligation. Sterilization is common even among favela residents in Brazil, the poorest of the poor.

Notice how different the facts are from the stereotypes. We always assume that women in poor countries produce many children.

But in many developing nations, that is no longer true.

What’s Driving the Decline?

All over the world, people are moving to cities. They’re searching for better schools, better jobs, and a more exciting life.

But once they’re there, they tend to have fewer children.

Apartments are cramped and expensive. Kids no longer help parents to farm.

Their parents still love them. But financially speaking, kids have become all cost and no benefit.

Many religions tell folks to be fruitful and multiply. But as religiosity declines in much of the world, those exhortations are falling on deaf ears. In Latin America in particular, lower levels of faith have contributed to women having fewer babies.

There’s also technology. Contraception has become much more reliable in recent years due to IUD’s and hormonal implants. These are far more effective than birth control pills.

Wrap-Up

The global collapse in fertility is one of the most important issues we face. But it’s happening slowly, so it’s rarely in the news.

How will the baby bust affect China and America? And how the heck do we fix it?

We’ll dig into that in part two, coming Monday.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

More from the blog:

The Fertility Crisis

One Billion Americans

Which Jobs Will AI Replace? Which Jobs Are Safe?

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