What happens when the world's population stops going up?

[Anonymous]

It has been a given in my mind that the world's population will continue to spiral ever higher until some massive catastrophe wipes out most of us.

But what if that is not what is happening? This article in the NY Times blew my mind. (sorry, don't know how to get around the paywall)
The World’s Population May Peak in Your Lifetime. What Happens Next?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/18/opinion/human-population-global-growth.html

8 billion today. A peak of 10 billion in 2080. Then back down to 8 billion around 2100 and decline from there.
Are they predicting a disaster? war? super volcano?
No.
Basically, people have stopped having as many babies. Just like Russia, Europe, North America, Latin America and China. It is expected that India, the Mid East and Africa will follow suit in the coming decades.

[Anonymous]

The air will be better to breathe, there will be less overcrowding. The housing market won't be as bad. Lots of good things that I wish I would be here too see.

[Anonymous]

It goes down?

[Anonymous]

Travel will be rare like years ago.

[Anonymous]

Maybe more people in the world won’t have to drink poop water

[Anonymous]

Everything will improve when the population decreases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everything will improve when the population decreases.

Except our standard of living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It goes down?

Mic drop

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has been a given in my mind that the world's population will continue to spiral ever higher until some massive catastrophe wipes out most of us.

But what if that is not what is happening? This article in the NY Times blew my mind. (sorry, don't know how to get around the paywall)
The World’s Population May Peak in Your Lifetime. What Happens Next?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/18/opinion/human-population-global-growth.html

8 billion today. A peak of 10 billion in 2080. Then back down to 8 billion around 2100 and decline from there.
Are they predicting a disaster? war? super volcano?
No.
Basically, people have stopped having as many babies. Just like Russia, Europe, North America, Latin America and China. It is expected that India, the Mid East and Africa will follow suit in the coming decades.

I won't be here.

[Anonymous]

Elderly people will rot in their homes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elderly people will rot in their homes

Society will break down in a very ugly way with significant resources going to assist people in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and much less resources available for the younger population. I imagine a lot of ugliness and strife in society. Maybe even enforced euthanasia. I don't think any of this will be pretty.

[Anonymous]

This is a really interesting book on this subject: Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline https://a.co/d/9uQSJeb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It goes down?

+1

[Anonymous]

It was much more pleasant in the 70s when I was growing up, with fewer people around. Do you believe we could drive right up to the Lincoln Memorial and park right in front? It was amazing.

Most of us gen xers know we will be working until we die, just like those coming after us. It is what it is.

And there will be a lot of migration from countries affected badly by climate change, it's not like the population will be able to continue to live in as much of the Earth as we do now.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s great. Yes, the bottom will struggle, as ever, but the load on the Earth will lighten. Humans can live nicely with fewer of us. The trick will be creating an economy that does not rely on endless growth. There is a way to sustain a good quality of life without growth, but it may be a little hard to get there. I’ll be dead. Too bad.