Ukrainians are advised to “reduce” their birth rate due to the threat of mass famine

In recent years, the world has been experiencing a significant demographic decline. However, some experts believe that this process does not always have negative consequences for society. The decrease in the birth rate can be an impetus for new opportunities and development, emphasizes The Economist.

It is known that as early as 1968, biologist Paul Ehrlich warned about the dangers of rapid growth in the world population, which, in his opinion, could lead to global famine. Today, the opposite trend is observed: in many countries, a sharp decline in the birth rate is observed.

According to data, approximately two-thirds of the world’s population lives in countries with a fertility rate below 2.1 children per woman. In large cities such as Tokyo and Bogota, this figure is even less than one.

UN projections suggest that the world population will peak at 9.6 billion by 2065, after which it will begin a decline that is expected to reduce it to 8.9 billion by 2100.

As for Ukraine, at the beginning of 2025, the country’s population was around 32 million, the result of a significant decline due to war and mass migration. Before the large-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine had an estimated population of 41-42 million, but the UN estimates that the country has lost around 10 million people since then.