Demography

Demography

A raised hand with bracelets is shown in focus against a blurred background of people indoors.
Nearly 30 would be "nones" — an amorphous group that spans from zealous atheists to the vaguely spiritual.
A group of people on a boat watch as a patrol vessel approaches on calm, open water under a clear sky, reflecting ongoing migration statistics in the region.
Migration statistics should be regarded with wariness as they are difficult to analyze properly and easily manipulated for political gain.
Three historical documents: Two titled "Reflections on the Weekly Bill of Mortality" surround an illustration of a plague doctor in a bird-like mask holding a staff, with a cityscape in the background. The scene captures the dark brilliance of an era grappling with mortality.
An extraordinary haberdasher obsessed with buttons, lace collars, and death pioneered modern statistical analysis during the Age of Reason.
A family walking down a dirt road.
Is it better to be the oldest sibling, the youngest, or in the middle?
A secularized church with ornate paintings on the walls.
Many countries' histories are governed by the familiar demographic story of growth, industrialization, and decline. But not France.
a painting of a group of people drinking in a room, depicting the extinction of gatherings.
The separation of pleasure from procreation may occur throughout the cosmos, providing an explanation for the Fermi Paradox.
a black and white photo of a woman and a child.
The chances that a newborn survives childhood have increased from 50% to 96% globally.
a map of europe showing the percentage of people in each country.
The average age of cannabis users is increasing. Weed may fall out of fashion before it becomes legal everywhere.
Changes in the world population are determined by two metrics: the number of babies born, and number of people dying.
europe digital divide
Some Europeans really don't want to use the internet.
There is a strong case to be made that the China has moved too slowly to reverse the effects of its one-child policy.
8 billion
Humanity is poised to pass the 8 billion milestone mid-November, but population growth is actually slowing down.
Many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too.
Catholic sisters outnumber priests and religious on every continent.
population bomb
Society incorrectly blamed a "population bomb” for problems that had other causes. A wrong diagnosis produces ineffective solutions.