Opinion | The Alternative, Optimistic Story of Population Decline - The New York Times

Opinion | The Alternative, Optimistic Story of Population Decline - The New York Times: There%20is%20no%20doubt%20that%20a%20shrinking%20global%20population%20%u2014%20a%20trend%20expected%20to%20set%20in%20by%20the%20end%20of%20this%20century%20%u2014%20poses%20unprecedented%20challenges%20for%20humanity.%20China%20is%20only%20the%20latest%20and%20largest%20major%20country%20to%20join%20a%20club%20that%20already%20includes%20Japan%2C%20South%20Korea%2C%20Russia%2C%20Italy%20and%20others.%20Germany%20would%20most%20likely%20be%20in%20decline%20too%20if%20not%20for%20immigration%2C%20and%20many%20others%20could%20begin%20shrinking%20in%20the%20years%20ahead.%20%28The%20United%20States%20is%20expected%20to%20grow%20moderately%20in%20coming%20decades%2C%20largely%20because%20of%20immigration.%29%20Median%20U.N.%20projections%20point%20to%20global%20population%20peaking%20in%20the%20mid-2080s%20at%20more%20than%2010%20billion%2C%20but%20if%20fertility%20rates%20continue%20to%20drop%2C%20the%20decline%20could%20begin%20decades%20earlier.%0A%0A