Written by Olivia Nater | Published: December 15, 2025
The Washington Post ran an alarmist article about depopulation. We replied with a letter to the editor, which wasn’t published, so we are featuring it here.
We encourage all our members and supporters to make their voices heard! See our media guide for advice on how to do that.
Re: Europe is panicking over its shrinking population (December 13, 2025)
Chico Harlan’s article on low fertility seems to imply that the world is on the verge of population collapse.
To ensure this fact isn’t lost — since it was only mentioned in the tiny font of a photo caption — the global population (currently 8.2 billion) is still growing and the UN projects it won’t peak until the 2080s, at over 10 billion.
As demographer Tomas Sobotka highlighted, significant global population decline is still very, very far off. Europe need not fear shrinkage either — due to continued high fertility in some areas, combined with demographic momentum (driven by a large cohort of people of childbearing age), there will be no shortage of people wanting to move to European countries from areas affected by escalating population and climate pressures.
People have many good reasons for choosing small families, and governments simply must accept that low birth rates are the new norm. Instead of focusing on ineffective pronatalist policies, world leaders would do well to invest in adapting our economies and societies to an absence of growth. The notion of infinite growth on a finite planet has always been an absurd pipe dream.
Sincerely,
Olivia Nater
Communications Manager
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