The great powers of the world are not concerned about war but about the decline in the child population.
A great war is being fought in the world on two fronts; Despite this, there are many powerful countries in the world that are not worried about war or nuclear weapons. This country is concerned about the decline in its population and birth rate. Which can slow down the pace of its development in the future.
China, Japan and Russia are concerned about population decline and are taking steps to increase it. At the same time, with the return of the Trump administration to the United States, women have started the 4B movement, which may affect the US population for decades to come. There are many countries such as Spain, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Iran that are worried about their population decline.
What are the challenges these countries affected by population decline face and what efforts are they making to address them?
read this too
Understanding China’s Concern Over Population Decline
China, the world’s second-largest economy, is worried about its declining population. There has been a continuous decline in China’s population over the past two years. So experts fear that by the end of this century China’s population will be halved.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 90 lakh children will be born in China in 2023. This figure is half the number of children born in 2017. In the last two years alone, China’s population has decreased by about 30 lakhs. According to one estimate, by 2040, 25 percent of China’s population will be aging (over 60 years old).
Population is an important asset of any country in many ways. But as this population ages, the burden on the government for their social security and care increases. At the same time, the decline in population also affects the pace of development and the economy. In such a situation, any country has to depend on immigrants from other countries to increase productivity, which can lead to a social and cultural crisis.
What efforts did China make to confront the crisis?
The Chinese government is extremely concerned about the declining population, which is why the communist government has begun to change its strict policies regarding population after decades. China strictly implemented the one-child policy from 1979 to 2015. But in 2015, the Jinping government changed it and allowed 2 children and a few years ago in 2021, it was increased from 2 to 3. Not only this, the Chinese government also presented an economic plan to produce more children, but these efforts had no significant effect.
(ImagesBazaar/Brand
Japan: Did strict work culture reduce population?
Japan also faces a crisis stemming from the rapid decline of its population. This year, compared to last year, there has been a 5 percent decrease in the infant birth rate. The surprising thing is that this has not happened for the first or second time, but the number of children has been decreasing in the country. for 8 consecutive years.
While China’s “one-child policy” has been one of the main reasons for its population decline, Japan’s unhealthy work culture is considered to be the main reason for its decline. In fact, in Japan, working more than 12 hours a day and not taking vacations is considered a sign of a good employee. Due to work pressure, people avoid getting married and having children. According to a report, there has been a decline of around 6 percent in the number of people getting married in Japan, this figure is frightening because for the first time in the last 90 years, less than 5 lakh marriages have been performed in the country. in a year.
Japan is facing many problems due to population decline. On the one hand, there is a declining workforce and, on the other, a growing elderly population. Because of this, the government not only has to bear the costs of social security schemes, but the government treasury is also reduced by encouraging people to get married and have children.
Challenging situation in South Korea
South Korea has to face more challenging situations due to the demographic crisis. In 2021, while the birth rate per woman in 110 countries around the world was 2.1 children, during this period in South Korea and Serbia this rate remained at only 1.1. According to a report, South Korea’s population will decline by approximately 30 percent over the next 50 years.
How did such a huge demographic crisis suddenly arise in South Korea? Has a policy like China’s or a strict work culture like Japan’s put South Korea in this trouble? So the answer is no, in fact, according to media reports, women in South Korea were very unhappy with their life after marriage, they said that even after marriage they had to take care of the house and children alone.
(Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
Great impact of the ‘4B’ movement!
In such a situation, it becomes difficult to take care of children apart from work, while like in most countries, after giving birth to children, women’s jobs are in danger, which affects their careers. In 2016, Japanese women started a movement against this fabric known as 4B. In a movement demanding equal rights and opportunities, women decided that they would not date men (biyonae), marry men (bihon), have children (bichuslan), or marry any men (bisexu).
Due to this 4B movement, South Korea is facing the largest demographic crisis in the world. Like China and Japan, South Korea could face a labor shortage due to its declining population. The direct impact of the lack of young population and the growing number of elderly people can slow down the pace of the country’s economy.
Along with the government, private companies in South Korea also offer financial incentives to get married and have children. In India, famous South Korean carmaker Hyundai has announced that it will give Rs 3 lakh to its employees for giving birth to a child. However, in South Korea this declining population is also seen as an opportunity for women.
Russia, involved in the war, is also concerned about its declining population.
Russia’s president, who has been at war with Ukraine for two and a half years, is also concerned about the population decline. Content that encourages not having children will be prohibited in the country. Not only this, Putin’s government is also reportedly considering creating a “Ministry of Sex”. While 18.9 lakh children were born in Russia in 2016, according to Statistics statistics, only 6 lakh children have been born in the country so far this year.
Like China, Japan and South Korea, Russia will also give thousands of rupees to women as an incentive to have children. Apart from this, the government is considering many such proposals under which it will give Rs 5,000 on the first date and bear the hotel expenses during the honeymoon.
Will Iran not survive after 100 years?
Iran is the latest name among countries facing a demographic crisis. For one thing, Iran is also facing a refugee crisis and has set a goal of deporting some 2 million Afghan refugees from the country by next year. On the other hand, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi has expressed concern about the population decline.
Alireza Raisi has said that if this trend continues, by 2101 Iran’s population will be 4.20 crore. He has warned that in the near future there will be an increase in the mortality rate and there will be a rapid decline in the birth rate. He has said that Iran is the only country in the world where the average number of children per family has dropped from 6 to one child in the last 10 years. Expressing concern, he said that if this continues, after 100 years there will be no country called Iran left.
The Deputy Minister of Health of Iran has described this matter as very serious and has asked to address it seriously. He said that when our population is 4.2 crore, the population of our neighboring countries will be between 35 and 55 crore.
Fear of population decline in America and Europe as well
It’s not that only countries like China, Japan and South Korea are affected by population decline. This crisis is going to reach America through Europe. Countries such as Germany, Spain and Italy are also facing a shortage of young population. After the coronavirus epidemic in 2020, a population decline was recorded in Germany for the first time in a decade. However, due to increased immigration, the year 2022 saw a record increase in Germany’s population. But the immigrant issue is now creating a political crisis in the country.
Speaking of the United States, the country’s population will peak in 2080 and then begin to decline. According to the US Census Bureau report, while the US population will reach 37 crore in 2080, it will fall to 366 crore in 2100. This is the first time that a decline in population has been estimated of the United States. But with Donald Trump coming to power in the United States and the way women started the ‘4B’ movement in South Korea, this figure may be reduced even further.
