Everything you think you know about the future is wrong.
For over two centuries, human population exploded from 1 billion to 8 billion people. We’ve built our entire world—our economies, cities, institutions, and expectations—on the assumption that growth never ends. But it already has.
In 63 countries home to 28 percent of the world’s people, populations are shrinking right now. China’s population is collapsing. Europe is aging into irrelevance. Global fertility has plummeted to barely above replacement level—and it’s still falling. Yet while policymakers scramble and nations face demographic catastrophe, most people remain blissfully unaware. They still worry about overpopulation, a fear that’s decades out of date.
Bill King will reveal the truth about humanity’s demographic future—and why it matters to you. Drawing on cutting-edge research and global data, his comprehensive analysis explores how depopulation will reshape everything: the balance of world power, the future of immigration, the solvency of retirement systems, the price of housing, urban planning, technological adaptation, and even the likelihood of war.
The demographic reality is unavoidable. But catastrophe isn’t. Countries that recognize and adapt to this new reality will thrive. Those clinging to outdated assumptions will struggle. The question isn’t whether depopulation will transform our world—it’s already happening. The question is whether we’ll prepare for it. The future won’t look like the past. It’s time to reset our expectations before it’s too late.
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