Large population a blessing or a curse

The US shivers in its boots as the baby boomers, the "bulge" in its population starts retiring at the age of 60. Graying populations are a huge fear for everyone from governments to insurance companies.

OECD Governments fear quantum changes in demographics as some of its most experienced and productive workers retire and have to be supported by existing social security nets or non-existent ones. While countries like Germany, Italy and Japan are already facing these crises, countries like the US and other western European countries are getting ready to face the challenge. Not only does the productive group reduce, the economics makes immigration inevitable leading to other social pressures.

By 2035 China faces the ignominious inevitability of having a graying population but still falling under the "developing nation" tag, as it isn't slated to be "developed" until late this century. This is primarily due to its "one child" policy.

India which isn't slated to be "developed" in this century at all cannot afford to have disastrous demographic policies.

As for the "right" or the "wrong" people, lets not be judgmental about who is "right" to have children and who isn't; it is a cycle. As the wealthier sections of society have less children, the children of the poorer sections of society will step into the shoes that have been vacated. Which makes it all the more imperative to build an excellent education system that prepares them for this inevitability. Read more:


Are large populations a blessing or a curse for a nation?