Reality check

Kennyboy66

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

A declining population is (in my view) a huge bonus, and consistent with the trend for less and less human labour required to create wealth.

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Except almost all economic growth in the last 200 years has been driven by expanding the countries (or its neighbours) industrial workforce.

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

China actually did something about their unsustainable population growth. Any ageing 'bulge' is temporary, and in any case is very little to do with their economy. Responsibility for maintaining elders is utterly and firmly the responsibility of family. Surely you don't think they pay state pensions like us do you?

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Its hardly a temporary bulge - either China grows its population (it won't), or it will have a huge drag by the fact that it will have a hugely ageing population (25% over 65 in less than 40 years). This will be the case for the next 100 years, its simple maths and longer life expectancy.

It doesn't really matter if its their children or the state who pays for the elderly - the money comes out of the same pockets.

In addition, the biggest declines in China's fertility occured before the one child policy.