HR Policy Global
News

Global: The ageing world

Nicholas Eberstadt says that humanity is on the brink of a historic shift as global population numbers are set to decline for the first time since the 1300s. This demographic shift will lead to societies that are shrinking and aging, fundamentally altering family structures and everyday life.

We highly recommend reading Nicholas Eberstadt’s article The Age of Depopulation: Surviving a World Gone Gray, Foreign Affairs magazine Nov/Dec 2024 issue (published on Oct 10)

As Eberstadt writes:

Although few yet see it coming, humans are about to enter a new era of history. Call it “the age of depopulation.” For the first time since the Black Death in the 1300s, the planetary population will decline. But whereas the last implosion was caused by a deadly disease borne by fleas, the coming one will be entirely due to choices made by people.

With birthrates plummeting, more and more societies are heading into an era of pervasive and indefinite depopulation, one that will eventually encompass the whole planet. What lies ahead is a world made up of shrinking and aging societies. Net mortality—when a society experiences more deaths than births—will likewise become the new norm. Driven by an unrelenting collapse in fertility, family structures and living arrangements heretofore imagined only in science fiction novels will become commonplace, unremarkable features of everyday life.

You can read the article in full here

MORE NEWS STORIES

Navigating the DEI Divide: A Strategic Imperative for Global CHROs
Employee Relations

Navigating the DEI Divide: A Strategic Imperative for Global CHROs

October 10, 2025 | News
Leading with AI: How CHROs Are Key to Resilient Organizations
Employee Relations

Leading with AI: How CHROs Are Key to Resilient Organizations

October 10, 2025 | News
War on DEI to Ramp Up as EEOC Regains Quorum
Employee Relations

War on DEI to Ramp Up as EEOC Regains Quorum

October 10, 2025 | News

Continue reading this content with the HR Policy Global Membership package