The planet’s birth rate is forecast to sharply decline in the coming decades. This change in population, and increase in older people, has profound implications for society, economies and the environment.
The phenomenon has provoked a surge in pro-natalist conservatism amongst the likes of JD Vance and Viktor Orban, while father of twelve Elon Musk has previously claimed “a collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far”.
But while far-right agitators blame “childless cat ladies” and financially-independent “girl-bosses” for the falling birth rate, an analysis of global data has provided some surprising results.
Chief data reporter with the Financial Times, John Burn-Murdoch, has been investigating this new phenomenon labelled the ‘relationship recession’.
US says ‘ball in Russia’s court’ after Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire
Micheál Martin tight lipped ahead of Oval Office meeting with Trump, as Burke family travel to Washington
Two teenage boys go on trial accused of raping 16-year-old girl at St Stephen’s Day race meeting
Woman was diagnosed with cancer after her earlier request for a mammogram ‘was refused’, Medical Council hears
He has found that while the birth rate among those in stable relationships remains relatively steady, there’s been an acute drop in the number of people coupling up in the first instance.
What is causing this decline in stable relationships and where is it happening?
And, are fewer couples and babies in the world actually a bad thing?
Today, on In The News, what is causing the global relationship recession?
John Burn-Murdoch and Irish Times relationships columnist Roe McDermott join the podcast to discuss the global - and local - collapse in stable relationships.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
