Blog
Population, Religion and the Environment
God Forbid, presented by Sami Shar, Radio National, June 7, 2024.
In the Old Testament God says "Be fruitful and multiply” ... Muslims too are encouraged to grow the Ummah – a global community of faith.
Why then are fertility rates in decline across so much of the world?
Last year, the world’s population ticked over 8 billion. In 1950, there were just 2.5 billion of us – an astonishing increase by any measure. And yet, in recent years, some have begun to express concerns about the decline of fertility rates, particularly in the post-industrial West.
In Australia – 20 years on from Peter Costello’s baby bonus – our fertility rate (the average number of babies delivered per woman in her lifetime) is at a near-record low. It’s a similar story across the OECD, but there have also been marked declines in India and Latin America. The global population is still growing, but more slowly than it has for a long time. So what’s driving these massive demographic shifts? And what does it mean for the world’s religions?
Guests:
Bryan Turner, Professor of sociology and religion, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University
Professor Lee-Fay Low, Professor in Ageing and Health, Sydney University
Dr Paul Collins, Catholic writer, historian and former priest, and author of The Depopulation Imperative.
Care to comment? .