One of the things that forces a rich country to open its doors to immigrants is the need to find people to do work that its own population is unwilling or unable to do. And, increasingly in the developed world, one of the jobs that people are unwilling or unable to do is that of a parent.
Except for Israel, no country in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has a birth rate above replacement rate 2.1 births per woman. Even countries like France and Hungary, which have spent large sums to encourage people to have bigger families, have not managed to get above this pivotal figure.
It is possible that Hungary's upward trajectory has not yet peaked and that its generous programme of financial incentives, in which families with more than three children pay little to no income tax, has turned around the country's long decline in fertility. But given that Hungary spends 5 per cent of its gross domestic product on "pro-childbirth" policies, you would hope it would have managed to hit a higher birth rate than 1.6. That is no better than Britain, whose government removed child benefit for households earning more than £60,000 (S$101,000) and refuses to pay anything additional for households having more than two children.
Some people insist that demographic decline is not a problem. There are three arguments I hear all the time whenever I raise this topic.
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra December 20, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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VERDY'S APPROACH AN EYE-OPENER
Former Lions turned coaches Alam Shah and Isa inspired by stint with Japanese club
Lions' morale-boosting win comes at a price
The Lions got a much-needed morale booster ahead of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship as they beat Tokyo Verdy 2-1 on Oct 11 in the second of three friendlies against J1 League opponents in their Japan training tour.
Conditions to blame for 'ugly' draw, says Messi
Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela on Lionel Messi's return, as Brazil got their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Chile on Oct 10.
Belgium punish Italy at set pieces in 2-2 draw
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti blamed bad luck, as Belgium bounced back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with his 10-man side in Rome on Oct 10 to boost their hopes of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals.
CARSLEY'S MIDFIELD OVERLOAD BACKFIRES
England temp boss dismayed by mistakes as Three Lions lose to Greece for first time
Player strike in England unlikely: Sports law expert
The chorus of frustrated players and managers speaking out against football's gruelling fixture schedule continues to grow, with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate the latest to say he would support players' right to strike.
SOCCEROOS HAVE NO FEAR
They head to Japan with confidence despite never having beaten the Samurai Blue there
Toyota back in F1 with Haas tie-up
The United States-owned Haas Formula One team and Toyota announced a multi-year technical partnership on Oct 11, in a move bringing Japan's biggest carmaker back to grand prix racing for the first time since 2009.
SABALENKA TO STICK TO HER BRAVE PLAN
World No. 2 will be aggressive in Wuhan semi against Gauff; Fritz takes on Djokovic
Nadal's beauty lay in his purity as a competitor
To appreciate the retiring Rafael Nadal we can flip through record books, hunt down Uncle Toni, sift the clay for archaeological clues, speak to Roger Federer's therapist, delve into the physics of spin, but really it's best if we start with a dictionary.