The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that France will offer new financial incentives for mothers to have third children. Reports the Sun-Times:
France isn't alone in worrying about the need to encourage births. Across Europe [there is]... a decline in fertility rates that some fear could lead to economic decline.In the 25-nation European Union, the average fertility rate has sunk below 2.07 children per woman -- the minimum needed to prevent a drop in population without immigration.
"It is a kind of creeping crisis," said Jan Hoem, a director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany, where the fertility rate of around 1.3 is among Europe's lowest....
The family-friendly policies have helped keep France's fertility rate among the highest in Europe -- 1.9 children per woman, second only to Ireland's 2.0 but still below the 2.07 level needed to keep population stable.
The EU average is around 1.5, dropping to less than 1.3 in some countries.
Why aren't headlines screaming about the underpopulation crisis?
Heh, Greece has done the same thing:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050916/ap_on_re_eu/greece_birth_incentive
Are you people out of your mind?? The Earth is absolutely GROSSLY overpopulated. The pope is a fucking nutcase if he's saying we're facing an "underpopulation crisis"? What planet are you living on? I'm living on Earth and am seeing the population increasing by the BILLIONS every decade! Oh yeah, (under)populaiton crisis, LET'S SHOOT FOR 10 BILLION! More hungry children, more increases in food production but nobody to afford it, yay!