[downquark1]

Originally Posted by Chris

Nobody is talking about extinction, and talk of overall population number misses the point. It is the age profile of the population that is the problem in this scenario. In a welfare state (or anything close to it) the old are cared for by the young, either directly working in social care roles or indirectly by funding them through tax.

Whenever this happens the economists come to the politicians and say, "we need to either cut state pensions or have more immigration" and the politicians say "more immigration".