For a long time, the story about the world’s population was that it was growing too quickly. There were going to be too many humans, not enough resources, and that spelled disaster. But now the script has flipped. Fertility rates have declined dramatically, from about five children per woman 60 years ago to just over two today. About two-thirds of us now liv ... Show More
Oct 27
Nate Silver Predicts a ‘Momentous’ Midterm
“If the election goes roughly as the polls say it will go, then in some ways it would mark the end of the Trump era,” Nate Silver told me.The midterms are a week away, and it looks entirely possible that Democrats will win not just the House, but also the Senate. Democrats are po ... Show More
55m 5s
Nov 2024
Social infertility: What's behind falling birth rates?
The proportion of people without children is growing around the world. For some, this new reality reflects changing social attitudes and a desire not to have children, but for others, the decision has been taken out of their hands by a range of factors. The latest statistics avai ... Show More
26m 7s
Oct 2024
Why Paying People to Have Babies is a Billion-Dollar Mistake
Overpopulation has been our biggest fear for decades, but now, shrinking populations are the real crisis. From aging societies to dwindling birth rates, countries worldwide are grappling with the risks of a declining population and struggling with radical measures to reverse it. ... Show More
15m 45s
Oct 2023
The truth about human population decline | Jennifer D. Sciubba
With birth rates falling, the worldwide human population is getting older and smaller. According to traditional thinking, this spells a future of labor shortages, bankrupt social security systems and overall economic collapse. Before you panic about the end of life as we know it, ... Show More
10m 44s
Nov 2025
How Smaller Families are Changing the World
Across the globe, there is a shift in the size of families as birthrates decline. Communities, schools, and workforces are all shrinking at an alarming rate. Even in the wealthiest countries populations are aging and straining key social systems. How are smaller families changing ... Show More
22m 5s
Oct 2025
Birth Rates: Are We Running Out of Babies??
Birth rates are falling all over the world, and some people are freaking out, saying this could tank our society — and even spell the end of humans. In the U.S., so-called pronatalism is having a major moment, with lots of people making the case for more babies — President Trump ... Show More
43m 8s
<p>For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/cradle-to-grave/">three-part series</a>, “Cradle to Grave.”)</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOU ... Show More
