Somewhere around 2050 the population of earth will begin to decline, and that decline will never stop. Some believe that fewer people will be an unmixed blessing. But we can already see the effects in Europe and parts of Asia: aging societies, stagnant economies, crippling demands on government services with too few workers available to care for all the old, sick people in their midst. But fewer workers will command higher wages; jobs will prompt innovation; the atmosphere will improve, the risk of famine will wane; there will be greater affluence and autonomy for women. But enormous disruption lies ahead.
