Japan sells more diapers for the elderly than for babies. In the United States there are more grandparents than grandchildren. And Siberia counts so many unmarried women that they’re having an active debate about allowing polygamy: "Half a good man is better than no man." At first glance, you would think that neighboring China, with a surplus of 35 million men, could provide a reservoir of candidates. But other than single women, Siberia doesn't have much to offer. It is barren, empty, cold and in many ways unwelcoming. Eighty percent of all 145 million Russians live on the other side of the Ural Mountains, sitting on twenty percent of all available Russian land. They are aging. Not yet as bad as in Japan, but there are more Russians over forty than under, and that's saying something in a country where men on average do not even reach the age of 65.
China’s dimensions add up to only half the size of Russia. But China counts ten times as many people. And here, too, the land is unevenly populated. The country has a large central plain, where roughly four thousand years ago the origins ofChina began. One billion Chinese live there, one thousand million, seventy percent of the entire population. The area is half the size of the U.S., and America has a much smaller population, 330 million. It is also heavily polluted. At times, the Yellow River literally looks yellow from the waste that makes its way to the ocean acrossa distance of three thousand miles.
China is paying a price for years of limiting family size. Compared to just twenty years ago, it has 90 million fewer residents in the 15-35 age group, and 150 million more people over 60. This is not just the result of the one-child rule that was in place between 1980 and 2015. Even before then, Chinese couples were already cutting back on family size, especially in and around cities. Almost as if all people, everywhere, are biologically wired to recognize when reproduction needs to take a step back. For it is clear that the urge to reduce the number of children has become a noticeable phenomenon worldwide, east, west, north and south.
In Singapore, this is a concern for its government. Young people are getting married alright, with husband and wife both working for the five Cs: cash, car, credit card, country club and a condo. But having children is beingprocrastinated. A decade ago, the government therefore decided to send a letter to young childless couples,encouraging them to start a family. They were even offered a special date: the night of Aug. 9, 2012, "National Night." Singapore added its reason: to secure the community's strong economy for the long term, more kids are necessary, enough young people who will soon be able to assure retirement and health care for the elderly. The government added a bonus, a free vacation in Bali. There, they reasoned, young couples would naturally get into the right mood.
Sure enough, many couples eagerly accepted the offer. But whatever it was that they did during their free vacation, it did not cause any additional pregnancies, and neither did National Night. The government ended the bonus program after nine months.
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