The coming population crisis
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Further reading and listening mentioned in the video:
Emigration from Africa will change the world: https://www.economist.com/briefing/2025/04/24/emigration-from-africa-will-change-the-world
Africans need jobs. The rest of the world needs workers: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/04/24/africans-need-jobs-the-rest-of-the-world-needs-workers
Europe’s demographic destiny: https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2025/03/29/europes-demographic-destiny
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SOURCES:
I’ve linked my sources in the blog that goes along with this video. Links are in the text: https://www.moneymacro.rocks/2025-06-23-pop-crisis/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:34 How the coming population crisis will change the world
04:05 Prediction 1
04:52 Prediction 2
08:33 prediction 3
09:13 Migration
11:28 Prediction 4
12:44 Prediction 5
13:43 Conclusion and SponsoAttribution:
Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic
Thank you to AP Archive for access to their archival footage.
Stock footage and others clips by Getty
Narrated and produced by Dr. Joeri Schasfoort
22 Comments
Get access to global coverage at an exclusive 20% discount at https://economist.com/moneymacro
Further reading and listening from the Economist:
1. https://www.economist.com/briefing/2025/04/24/emigration-from-africa-will-change-the-world
2. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/04/24/africans-need-jobs-the-rest-of-the-world-needs-workers
3. https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2025/03/29/europes-demographic-destiny
All these talks don’t consider automations and AI. The huge assumption behind these prediction is that workers and work will still be needed as they are needed today, which I highly doubt. I really don’t think that demographics is gonna be the big player here; demographics is a big topic for economists because it’s what they can understand today, or to put it in Jared terms, “manure”😉
2:33 what fuck is that equation bro. GDP = GDP/labor * labor. Might as well say GDP = GDP
One thing missing from the prediction is that AI, automation, robotic can take over the migration
GDP per capita is such a monumentally deceptive way of measuring how well the economy is serving people who work for a living, esp younger generations (who matter more for the future).
Billionaire Owned Economists, Politicans & Media often use it to decieve the Public about what is in their interests.
Of course, it's mostly to serve those who own assets for a living.
A better measure is Cost-of-Living (esp housing), Disposable Income & under-Employment rate.
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Is this really a problem?? We keep seeing the number of jobs decrease due to AI or whatever so do we really need more people. Also in Japan's case, if you have ever been to Japan you will notice every store and workplace is WAY overstaffed and company workers are very unproductive. They can totally absorb significant population decline. The issue is just putting people in the industries that genuinely require more workers
Great video！
Do you not think Automation or a potential commercialization of Space will not have any effect?
What about South Korea? They are also facing a serious population crisis.
Cut to old age benefits won't happen when old people represent the majority of the voting population.
It'll be mass migration, the breaking down of high trust societies and civil unrest.
We have less population before, we will be fine, robot will take care of us. Rich people are just worried they have less people to sell to.
please no more migration to the global north pls. we're full
India has huge systemic problems, which I will enumerate:
1. Extreme income inequality, which is the result of compounding class and caste divisions (this is a millenia old problem)
2. Fickle votebank politics – if you think US is a joke due to the evangelicals and the confederate army, I invite you to a bigger circus of jingoism and ancestor-worship
3. Extremely low adherence to law – rule of law exists only in pockets
India is a phenomenon, not a country. Its growth will be unique and in no way mirror other countries.
Nope you are wrong on one major thing,,,, if Japanese economy continues to deteriorate, which it will, every single rich nation will pore theri entire resources in making more babies,, which i predict will not be as smooth as we think
Good vid!
Man, there are a lot of comments on this video saying that AI and robotics make demographic change a complete non-issue. I'd like to see some data that justifies these assertions.
maybe we could stop sending food aid to the third world now?
M&M – "screw you red green colour blind people" lol
ooor AI will have some little impact in all this 😉
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Population will eventually bounce back when people have "Hope" and the resources for it.
Right now there is no hope, and no one has the resources for it.