The birth-to-death in European, American and some Asian countries is currently negative. This is a bad thing, but
people either
don't want to or cannot sustain properly a
family any longer. The birthrate is roughly around 1.
5 children per couple. This means that in about 80 years these countries would lose about a quarter of their current population. Most African countries are exceptions. Reasons for why "rich" countries have a negative birth-to-death ratio:
1. Reduction of salaries: This makes any
family to become
hard-to-support.
2. The invention of the condom: As unlikely as it
may seem, this is a major problem. Most
people don't marry any longer, since they can now engage in sexual relationships without procreating.
3. The lack of housing: Big houses are now very expensive, so there is no room for more than a couple or a small family.
Instead, in poorer countries (like African) have a huge birthrate, eventually reaching more than 4-5 children. Previously, they had a huge premature mortality rate, but new aide programms reduced it significantly. So the population in poorer countries might double soon.
