The Advantages of Declining Fertility | Vegard Skirbekk

A declining birth rate is a positive trend that can lead to greater prosperity. Vegard Skirbekk, population economist and author of the book, Decline and Prosper! Changing Global Birth Rates and the Advantages of Fewer Children, joins us.  To counteract the increasingly alarmist fears of population decline, we have a sobering conversation with population economist, Vegard Skirbekk. He takes us through decades of demographic research to lay to rest apocalyptic forecasts and insecurities around exploding healthcare costs, high shares of people dependent on others for care and economic support, labor shortages, and economic and cultural stagnation, and explains why instead a declining birth rate is not only a positive trend but one that can lead to more prosperity. He provides key ideas on how governments can and should embrace and adapt to an aging population through citizen-centered policies and attitudes. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.populationbalance.org/podcast/vegard-skirbekk   ABOUT US OVERSHOOT | Shrink Toward Abundance [Formerly The Overpopulation Podcast] OVERSHOOT tackles today’s interlocked social and ecological crises driven by humanity’s excessive population and consumption. The podcast explores needed narrative, behavioral, and system shifts for recreating human life in balance with all life on Earth. With expert guests from wide-ranging disciplines, we examine the forces underlying overshoot: from patriarchal pronatalism that is fueling overpopulation, to growth-biased economic systems that lead to consumerism and social injustice, to the dominant worldview of human supremacy that subjugates animals and nature. Our vision of shrinking toward abundance inspires us to seek pathways of transformation that go beyond technological fixes toward a new humanity that honors our interconnectedness with all beings.  Hosted by Nandita Bajaj and Alan Ware. Brought to you by Population Balance.  Learn more at populationbalance.org Copyright 2025 Population Balance