from Hacker News

China to report first population drop in five decades

by boyadjian on 4/29/21, 8:11 AM with 13 comments

• by fallingfrog on 4/29/21, 1:50 PM

  Declines in population are not irreversible, you can always build the population back up. Before the industrial revolution most countries had periods where centuries passed and the population stayed mostly even. If we go back to steady state population or a slight decline for a while it’s not going to be the end of the world. We are accustomed to explosively exponential population growth, but in the grand sweep of history that has been a very special period in history.

• by simonblack on 4/29/21, 11:07 PM

  A decline in population is not necessarily bad. All population all over the world is far too high, it needs to be reduced to roughly a quarter of the current level.

  If you reduce the number of people, the GDP is spread over fewer people and the GDP per head is higher.

• by ngcc_hk on 4/29/21, 11:52 AM

  Having less people (other than the temporarily aging issue) is good for the country. You really do not need 1.4 billion people. Each couple should be free to make decision. And most developing countries has couple decided to do less birthing.

  The strange thing is a census need to be waited. Is it a fact or ...?

  China.

  Btw I am not thinking about the rumour there is usual amount of death as well. Can’t be ... can it?