[steve-b]

In fact, every nation on this planet with a high per capita income (other than one associated with extracting oil from the ground), has a low birth rate, and most with middle of the road per capita incomes are joining the club. The correlation between per capita income levels and birth rates is very, very high. With respect to most other factors, it is very, very low.

The oil-wealthy countries aren't really an exception -- even though the countries are wealthy, most of the people in them are poor, because the ruling elite controls the oil wealth and blows it on frippery (e.g. Saudi Arabia) or military adventurism (e.g. Iraq).

When these nations develop a solid middle class (I consider this inevitable, if civilization in general isn't wrecked, though it remains to be seen how long this will take and how much strife there will be along the way), I'm confident that they will follow the usual demographic pattern of lowered birthrates.

[Torie]

Yes, that is what I meant (it is not anomalous). I was just too lazy to type out your fine explanation.