Germany , whose GDP now nudges out Japan as the 3rd largest global economy, has been teetering on recession for some time. No two consecutive quarters of negative growth yet, but falling every now and again. The numbers are pretty lame though, annual GDP only a few percent.
Remember, back around 1990, Paul Keating said during question time., that "Anything less than annual GDP growth of 4% is rubbish". The bar certainly has dropped 30+ years later.
View attachment 6417927What about the other major economies? Not much better .
View attachment 6417936UK slipped into recession in 2023
View attachment 6417942View attachment 6417945China still going well, (if you believe their Bureau of Statsistics), but the declining growth rate is evident here too.
View attachment 6417948And USA, slipped into recession H1 2022, but Bidenomics said "Lets put on lots of public servants, and blow out govt debt even more with big infrastructure projects our budget cant afford."
View attachment 6417951So since the GFC, with the exception of China and USA., major economies have just been teetering at low 1-2% annual GDP, with Japan and Germany frequently dipping into negative quartlerly growth.
The entry of women into the workforce in the 80s, and the rise of the better eudcated middle class in China and India since 2000 has undoubtedly affected birth rates. But Post 1987 and GFC, world population growth declined markedly. Do stock market crashes and worsening economc conditions affect peoples desire to have children?
World has gone crazy, people are fearful, and things are only going to tighten up more.
Src:
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/View attachment 6417960