if the total fertility rate drops and stays below global replacement rate, will humans disappear? - eviltoast

After watching this video I am left with this question.

The video ultimately claims that humans will not disappear, but doesn’t do a great job explaining why.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but for the (or a) population to be and remain stable, the total fertility rate needs to be equal to the global replacement rate (which recently was 2.3).

And since the total average fertility rate appears to be currently at this 2.3, any drop in the fertility rate in place A would have to be compensated with a rise in the fertility rate in place B (assuming that, at some point, we would like to stop population decline)?

I guess one way for a population to remain stable, while women are having fewer than 2.3 children, would be to have fewer men? If a population has 100 women and 10 men, each woman would only have to have on average (a bit more than) 1.1 child? (Which would of course also require a collective form of prenatal sex selection.)

I realize that would be bonkers and unethical. Just wondering out loud.

  • redisdead@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    People from poor countries that move into wealthy countries adopt the birth rate almost immediately.

    It isn’t about laziness, it’s about education and wealth.

    • shrugs@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      You are contradicting yourself. By moving into a wealthy country you neither gain education nor wealth. Its about culture and environment.

      My guess is: in wealthy countries people are living more isolated. Without help from friends and family you have to invest a huge amount oft time into rising a child, which many can’t afford.

      • redisdead@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        By moving to a wealthy country, you do gain education and wealth, wtf are you talking about.

        People don’t move to a country to stay poor and uneducated. They immediately send their kids to school and they immediately benefit from better employment.

        There’s been enough studies about it. Birthrate is absolutely linked to wealth. It’s universal.