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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Tory Shepherd

Birthrates are plummeting worldwide. Can governments turn the tide?

Illustration of a stork flying through the sky which has dropped its bundle that looks like a globe.
A study by the University of Washington predicts that by 2100, 97% of 204 countries will be below the replacement rate of fertility. Illustration: Ben Sanders/The Guardian

Sophia and her partner have been thinking about having children for about five years. They are concerned about humanity’s impact on biodiversity loss and climate change and worried about what the future holds.

“Our conversation has two parts,” says Sophia, a communications specialist who preferred not to use her full name. “One is: what’s the contribution of a child to the global [climate] crisis? The second one is [about] what would their life be like.

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