West faces 'baby bust' as tumbling fertility rates leave countries with shrinking population, says new study
Most countries in the world face having a shrinking population by the middle of the century due to “tumbling” fertility rates, according to new research.
In Western Europe, the total fertility rate – the average number of children born to women of childbearing age – is predicted to be 1.44 in 2050, dropping to 1.37 in 2100.
In the UK, the total fertility rate was 2.19 in 1950, dropping to 1.85 in 1980 and
