Indeed, population growth actually increases over the long term with a greater quality of life because more children survive into adulthood. That is, of course, assuming that people are still having children.
Aren't Japan, Italy and much of Europe losing population, and that's why foreigners were being imported to Europe? I've heard that without immigration, the US population would be declining also. I remember big bill boards in France in the early 90's "La France a besoin des enfants". France needs babies. Germany was paying people to be parents. My French in-laws were wondering why they should bother to have kids since they are so much work. If your future comfort is assured, you just have fun. You also lose population when people see no way to improve their fate, like the Soviet Union.
That may be the case, but to conclude that a higher quality of life will inevitably lead to population decline is fallacious. Birth rates can and do fluctuate from a variety of circumstances. For instance, nowadays the countries with the highest GDP are likewise the most inundated with cultural influences through media and other sources that discourage procreation. If birth control and abortion weren't so widely utilized, birth rates in those countries would be off the charts from the sheer promiscuity alone.
Indeed, population growth actually increases over the long term with a greater quality of life because more children survive into adulthood. That is, of course, assuming that people are still having children.
Aren't Japan, Italy and much of Europe losing population, and that's why foreigners were being imported to Europe? I've heard that without immigration, the US population would be declining also. I remember big bill boards in France in the early 90's "La France a besoin des enfants". France needs babies. Germany was paying people to be parents. My French in-laws were wondering why they should bother to have kids since they are so much work. If your future comfort is assured, you just have fun. You also lose population when people see no way to improve their fate, like the Soviet Union.
Population growth and GDP per capita are inversely correlated in every country in the world, no exceptions.
That may be the case, but to conclude that a higher quality of life will inevitably lead to population decline is fallacious. Birth rates can and do fluctuate from a variety of circumstances. For instance, nowadays the countries with the highest GDP are likewise the most inundated with cultural influences through media and other sources that discourage procreation. If birth control and abortion weren't so widely utilized, birth rates in those countries would be off the charts from the sheer promiscuity alone.