The UN Reports A Decline In Birth Rate

 

The UN Population Fund released the State of World Population report. Birth rates are declining globally based on their data. The focus of the UN Population Fund was on reproductive rights, women's health, making every pregnancy wanted, and women's rights. To a degree, a contradiction exists. The emphasis on women having children tends to be more anti-woman. The countries with the highest fertility rates tend to have women who do get access to an equal amount of education. The United Nations makes it appear as a crisis. The world population is larger than it was a century ago. The report did a survey that only used 14 countries. The UNPFA had a survey sample of 14,000 people. The countries that were part of the report included Thailand, South Korea, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Nigeria, India, Morocco, Mexico, US, South Africa, Germany, and Indonesia. Some reported wanting to have children, but financial security was an obstacle. Women cited in the report that unequal domestic division of labor as a reason for not having children. The lack of employment security, warfare, and environmental concerns were also reasons for subjects not wanting to have children. The contemporary period provides no benefit to being a parent. While underpopulation can be an issue for certain nations, overpopulation is more precarious. Few jobs, limited access to healthcare, and education create an atmosphere of conflict. The world does not have the capacity to take care of billions of people. The UN report sounds more like an advocation for natalism. This connects to many conservative circles that see declining birthrate as nations weakening. Besides the economic factors related to birthrate decline, culture is one. A growing number of women do not want to marry, be in a relationship, or have children. A portion of men are unable to establish any form of relationship with women. Men just might not want to be fathers. The report is misleading because of the sample size and the few countries selected for the survey. The declining birth rate is not a crisis. Nations with aging populations must consider solutions to demographic challenges.