Over the last few months there has been an online debate about Bermuda’s declining birthrate and what it means for the future. Some have attempted to paint a picture that it is our island alone that has a falling birth rate. What is the birthrate you ask?
Here is a definition from oxfordreference.com “The rate at which a particular species or population produces offspring. The birth rate of a species is used to measure its fecundity (reproductive capability)”
The global benchmark states that in order for a country to maintain its population it has to have a birth rate of 2.1 or above. In simpler terms, if a family has less than 2 children they are below the birth rate. Bermuda’s Birth rate is presently at 1.3 according to worldbank.org
We are not alone
Spending a few hours in research on several websites revealed that almost all “developed” countries are experiencing the exact same steep decline in birthrates. According to the same website, here are some comparative Birthrates:
Clearly almost every country in the “developed world” is facing inevitable population decline. In other words, Bermuda is not alone. But hey, dont take my word for it.
“The European Union is on the brink of a major demographic shift as new projections suggest a significant population decline by the end of the century.”
Euronews.com
“America will enter the 22nd century with a shrinking population…”
Axios.com
Less pampers
Nothing happens in a vacuum. So, here are some of the given reasons for declining birthrates:
Whatever the reasons may be why families are having less children, the net result is that countries must prepare for an increasingly aging population with less and less young people.
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