A fertility rate below 1 means a population drop by more than 75% after just two generations.

For decades, China feared overpopulation.

Now it’s discovering that you can stop births with government power, but you can’t force people to become parents.

Once housing becomes too expensive and jobs too scarce and too demanding, fertility collapse becomes a one-way street. https://t.co/AgPx7eMtF7

— Michael A. Arouet (@MichaelAArouet) June 21, 2026