Tech billionaire Elon Musk has once again highlighted the urgent issue of global population decline, citing alarming trends observed in recent data.
In a post on X, Musk shared a chart from the New York Times illustrating significant drops in birth rates across various countries.
Population collapse is accelerating https://t.co/7jeDBC62Lw
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2024
According to the data, Poland experienced the steepest decline at 10.5%, followed by Ireland at 10.3%, and the Czech Republic at 10%.
Conversely, Denmark, the US, the Netherlands, and Spain saw minimal decreases of around 1.9% to 2%.
Some countries, such as Norway and Malaysia, recorded slight population growths of 0.3% and 2.2%, respectively, while Thailand and the Philippines saw increases of 3.6% and 6.7%.
This isn’t Musk’s first foray into discussing demographic challenges.
Earlier this year, he warned of a potential population collapse, suggesting that declining birth rates could lead to societal decay similar to that experienced by long-extinct civilizations.
He particularly emphasized Europe’s low birth rates, projecting a swift demographic decline, with Asia facing even more severe consequences.
Broader research echoes Musk’s concerns.
In April, he labeled low birth rates as a greater threat to civilization than climate change.
This sentiment is supported by recent studies, including one published in The Lancet, which forecasts that many countries will struggle to maintain their populations by the year 2100 due to insufficient fertility rates.
The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) also projects a significant drop in global fertility rates, estimating a decrease from 2.23 births per woman in 2021 to 1.57 by 2100 in most countries.
Musk’s warnings align with these projections, underlining the urgency of addressing the demographic challenges facing the world.
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