[Antoninus]

Low population = higher wages = higher per-capita income = higher wealth = higher standard of living. It has been that way all throughout economic history.

It also = aging population = immense strain on social service systems = demand for "outside sources" of cheap labor = cultural change = civilizational collapse (at least in the case of Europe.)

Way to trade short-term luxury for long-term destruction. An ant and the grasshopper story if ever there was one.

[AppleButter]

aging population = immense strain on social service systems = demand for "outside sources" of cheap labor = cultural change = civilizational collapse.

That's easy to fix. Get rid of the misguided social service system that attempts to keep old folks alive forever. You can adjust the average age of the population downward by either adding more young people, or eliminating the older people.