Challenge or opportunity? Elon Musk shares his thoughts on India, China’s declining population | READ

World: Elon Musk is concerned about the world's impending population crisis. He says a sharp fall in populations across countries like India and China is one of the world's greatest threats. He shares a post on social media amplifying experts' warnings about a demographic shift that can reshape global power dynamics.

Population collapse conversation

Elon Musk recently liked a post on social media showing the extreme decline of the populations that are actually expected in key countries like China and India by 2100. Musk retweeted this statement only by writing "yes" to this statement that said, "Population collapse is humanity's greatest threat."

Declines in China and India

A 2020 University of Washington report suggests that for many decades, both India and China will experience very drastic declines in population. As for India, by 2100, this figure is supposed to be down from 1.5 billion recorded in 2018 to only 1.1 billion. For China, the population figure will have dwindled down to 731.9 million, a drop of more than 730 million. This will leave Nigeria the world's second-most populated nation at the century's end; it is expected that the country will have approximately 790 million inhabitants.

Fertility decline and rates worldwide

For decades now, fertility rates worldwide have decreased drastically. Today, births reached a record low in England and Wales, where 1.44 children are born to each woman. The fertility rate worldwide has decreased from 5.3 in 1963 to less than half that today. Analysts believe most of these trends will continue and render nations vulnerable to shrinking workforces and economies.

Impact of migration and aging populations

Where, while some countries will continue to experience minimal fluctuations in their populations, for instance, because of immigration in the United States, others will have far greater concerns. Japan and Italy, whose populations are so low that fertility rates weigh down their economies, will face much pressure from aging populations. Elon Musk has been warning the world for decades now, saying it is destined to face very serious challenges in the coming decades due to a worldwide decline in population.