[Right_Wing_Madman]

what’s so wrong with a smaller population country? Why is it something that now needs to be fixed? Why is a population drop such an emergency?

Because low birth rates aren't compatible with the Western welfare model. When the birth rate is 2.0 (two children per woman), one married couple supports two grandparents. When the birth rate is 1.0, one married couple supports eight grandparents. When the birth rate is 0.5 (in some parts of Europe), one married couple must support 16 grandparents!

[blueplum]

I don’t get the math. 2 kids = 1 parent each; 1 kid = 2 parents. If the parent survives beyond age 50 and has no nestegg, and if they do have a nestegg, allowing that parents, not the grandchildren, support the parent’s parent, aka grandparent. Add a spouse and you still get 1 parent each or less if the spouse comes from a larger family.