World Population

This evening I got into a discussion with someone about the size of families. She was adamant that any parents having more than 2 children, except in the case of twins, triplets, etc. was extremely selfish. I asked her why. She responded with two words: "Overpopulation Problems".

A few years ago I would have blindly nodded and said, "Yes, you're right." But then I read Mark Steyn's landmark book, America Alone. What I learned is that there is an overpopulation problem in the 3rd World but in the so-called 1st World, there's actually a HUGE population deficit. When I say such a thing, many people don't believe me. So let me present you with some a completely neutral source: NationMaster.com

The table I've referred you to is "Total fertility rate", which is the number of children born to each woman. In order for a population to not shrink or grow, the rate needs to be 2.1 on average. Why this value? Every man & woman need to have 2 children in order to "replace" themselves. But because of premature deaths and people not procreating, there have to be a few more babies born. That's where the '2.1' number comes from. If you're interested in a more detailed explanation, click here.

So what do the numbers reveal? The 4 countries in the world with the highest birth rates are all poverty stricken ones in Africa:

• #1: Mali - 7.38
• #2: Niger - 7.37
• #3: Uganda - 6.84
• #4: Somalia - 6.68

And the 4 countries in the world with the lowest birth rates are tiny, wealthy ones in Asia:

• #218: Taiwan - 1.12
• #219: Singapore - 1.07
• #220: Macau - 1.03
• #221: Hong Kong - 0.98

Here are some selected countries from the list:

• #109: Mexico - 2.39
• #126: United States - 2.09
• #135: France - 1.98
• #174: United Kingdom - 1.66
• #180: Canada - 1.61
• #193: Germany - 1.4
• #194: Russia - 1.39
• #204: Italy - 1.29
• #205: Spain - 1.29
  
• #212: Japan - 1.23

So before nodding your head in similar discussions in the future, now you can pass on the actual facts of the situation.

Is Canada Headed Over a Steep Cliff?

It was reported today that the Northern B.C. town of Kitimat lost about 12% of its population last year. One has to wonder if the dramatic population decrease in Kitimat is a preview of what's to come in most small communities across Canada. Canada's birth rate is extremely low and our population numbers are artificially (and only currently) being held up by immigration.

But it was also reported that 90% of new immigrants are moving to Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. And why shouldn't they? If you were the parent of a new family to Canada, would you take them to a dying town with minimal employment prospects or a thriving metropolis with countless opportunities?

Incidentally, one important fact that is not being accurately reported is that our immigration is not going to solve our birthrate problem. For the average age of these new immigrants is not the age of new babies. So 20+ years from now, when we're going to need new taxpayers coming into the workforce to support our social programs, instead we'll have middle-aged former new immigrants that are nearing retirement themselves.

I've just started reading Mark Steyn's excellent book "America Alone" and it's pretty darn scary what's facing us in just a few decades. Like him, I support immigration wholeheartedly but to think that it's the answer to our pending problems is pure fiction.