1w ago

US population projections shrink because of declining birth rates, less immigration

abcnews.go.com US population projections shrink because of declining birth rates, less immigration

The Congressional Budget Office has shrunk its projections for the U.S. population in 30 years to 372 million residents

Without immigration, the U.S. population will shrink starting in 2033 in part “because fertility rates are projected to remain too low for a generation to replace itself,” the Congressional Budget Office said.

The reduced projections from last year were the results of a decline in projected fertility rates over 30 years from 1.70 births per woman to 1.60 births per woman and less immigration because of an executive order last June that temporarily suspends asylum processing at the border when U.S. officials deem they are overwhelmed, the budget office said. Replacement happens at a rate of 2.1 births per woman.

29 comments

That’s why birth control is restricted.
- I've been called a lot of things for saying this. doesn't make it any less true.

This point keeps coming up. We are destroying the earth due to overpopulation and overuse, why is it bad for the population to decline for a while. Its very normal for populations of animals in the wild to spike and wane, its not some catastrophe.
- ...because western economies are built upon larger young generations paying smaller old generations for the privilege of participation; take away its buttressing and that "stable" economic pyramid becomes a rickety tower...
  ...you can prop up the generational productivity deficit with industrial automation to some extent, but only if the benefits of automation are democratised rather than hegemonised, otherwise a smaller-and-smaller oligarchy instead dominates an increasingly-marginalised peasantry until the whole thing comes crashing down...
  ...when life becomes cheap, it will be spent cheaply...
  
  …when life becomes cheap, it will be spent cheaply…
  dude, I've never seen it put that way before. That's the underlying theme for fascists. Send them to war, take away their benefits, stop them from having choices in life. It really doesn't matter to them because life is cheap. I'm going to get drunk this weekend I think.
- Overpopulation isn't a thing yet. Won't be for several billion more.
  And a shrinking population is only bad for Capitalism as it depends on endless growth, endless resources, and endless slaves to continue to function.
  It's a core contradiction.
- We are destroying the earth due to overpopulation and overuse
  The raw number of humans living in the United States has nothing to do with the degree to which we are demolishing the environment. States and counties with low populations are often more aggressive in unchecked pollution and resource extraction than those with large ones. And the dependence on inefficient energy, materials, and infrastructure is more prominent in communities with small rural distributions.
  The policies that are destroying the country will not improve simply because the long-term birthrate is in gradual decline. We're going to smack straight into a Malthusian event due to climate change long before mere population trends impact our pollution output.
  Its very normal for populations of animals in the wild to spike and wane
  Wild populations do not normally kick off a global extinction event. This isn't just another biological trend, it is a full reworking of the global ecology. Even if we wipe ourselves out tomorrow, humanity's impact will be measured in epochs. Assuming humanity survives long-term, you'll see our footprint for eons.
  
  I wasnt talking about what benefits the country. The country is made up, by us. The earth is not. Less humans will benefit the earth, especially capitalist humans.
  If the economy needs people, then americans apparently should get to making babies or increase immigration, neither of which are well supported things.
  As for climate change killing us first, you'd maybe want to remember what caused climate change in the first place, and how many people contributed to that over the last few hundred years. Almost like more people = more pollution from industry and food production.
  Well, unless you can convince people they dont need the conveniences in their lives anymore and that they should stop eating meat and dairy.

In before motherhood medals for the spawning of cannon fodder.

Well you guys made everyone poor and want to kick out all the people that wanna move here. You'd rather dismantle planned parenthood to force people to have more babies instead of actually give them an incentive to have babies.
- A lot of people don’t even need incentives, they just need things to not be shit.
  
  What you call "things are shit" is just an incentive to not have babies.
- Well you guys made everyone poor and want to kick out all the people that wanna move here
  "You guys"? I didn't vote for the orange guy, just like I'm assuming you didn't.
  
  I mean "you guys" as in the people in charge of everything that keep bitching about birthrates. My b

It's gonna drop even faster with no one wanting to live in a fascist shit hole. Along with falling immigration, I'm expecting a rise in emigration. I would be if I had money
- Nah, any emigration we see won't amount to a rounding error. Brain drain might be impactful though. Many of the intelligentsia left Nazi Germany before it got wild.

FYI, birth rates falling is really bad for a country with capitalism. It becomes top heavy with older people and no one to work for the older people's retirement benefits. That's how you know all of this immigration crap is racism and breaking the government.
- In a non-capitalist system the problem seems to be exactly the same...

The American success story is in great part attributed to a steady stream of immigrants ready to and willing to exploit and be exploited for the promise of a better life for themselves or their children. Disrupt the flow of immigrants and the system might collapse.

They’re doing everything they can to make women not want to have babies too.

Wow its almost like nobody wants to live here anymore. I wonder why /s

29 comments