FT: Demographic time bomb looming? In 75% of the world, populations are shrinking and ageing - why it matters

In this gripping Rachman Review episode, FT's Gideon Rachman speaks to leading demographer Nicholas Eberstadt about a quietly unfolding global crisis: shrinking, ageing populations in 75% of the world. From collapsing birth rates in East Asia and South America to soaring population projections in sub-Saharan Africa, Eberstadt unpacks what this shift means for economic growth, elder care, migration, and global power dynamics -especially the future of China, the West, and Africa. Could smartphones be a new form of birth control? Will Europe compete for migrants in the coming decades? And what happens when families - and meaning - start to dissolve?.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..Watch here:

FT: Demographic time bomb looming? In 75% of the world, populations are shrinking and ageing - why it matters

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