#223 with Stephen Shaw: Population Collapse and Birth Gap
Description
In this episode, we speak with Stephen Shaw, a researcher known for his work on global demographic trends and the causes of declining birth rates. Shaw explores the widening gaps shaping modern societies: the gap between younger generations and the growing number of older people who depend on them, and the gap between the number of children people want to have and the number they actually do have.
Shaw explains why birth rates are falling sharply across the world and why no society in history has recovered from rates this low. He discusses how the timing of parenthood is influenced by social expectations and why syncing parenthood later in life may be part of the solution. Among the ideas he highlights: lifelong learning, the possibility for women to shift career starts later, and the reality that we are all likely to work longer.
The conversation points to a central conclusion found in many demographic studies: the strongest global driver behind declining birth rates is unwanted childlessness. Shaw explains what this means for individuals, families, and the future of our societies.
United States
