2030

2030 outlines which changes we can expect in the world and our lives by the beginning of the next decade, based on the current trajectories of sociological, demographic, and technological trends.

A little more than 50 years ago, many people were worried about the prospect of overpopulation. Guillen argues we should be worried about the opposite: a baby drought.

Since the 1970s, US women have, on average, had fewer than two kids each. So basically, we don’t even have enough children to replace current generations.

Some people might say this is a good thing. That the planet needs fewer of us. But without the next generation, we can’t take care of the ever-growing share of elders. Whose taxes will finance their pensions?

The reason the birth rate has declined dramatically is that there are more women in the workforce. Because those women are actively working, they are more likely to wait until they are established in their field before having children. Because fertility drops with age, they tend to have fewer children if they decide to start a family.

But that’s not the only reason. People are also having less sex. The Archives of Sexual Behavior published a study that found that in the 2010s, Americans had sex nine times less per year on average than in the 1990s. Why? Technology has put more, other enjoyable distractions into our homes, like gaming, the internet, and endless TV.

But not every country is experiencing this drastic decline in birth rates. There is currently a population boom in sub-Saharan Africa. Because they rely on imported food, markets for food in this area will become a trillion-dollar sector. Western nations might also have to change their stances on immigration from this sector, relying on African immigrants to replace their own declining populations.

One major change coming in 2030 is that women will hold more than half of the world’s wealth for the first time. Women are often primary caregivers to children and family members, thus losing years of work, which means missing out on salary advances male counterparts enjoy. But the good news for working women is that the pool of qualified workers will shrink thanks to the combination of low birth rates and an aging population. This change means that businesses will start relying on working caregivers more than they ever have. Thankfully, according to polls, we are more positively disposed toward women who hold positions of power than ever. And with that power comes money. With this change comes changes in global spending. The author predicts we will see increases in spending on education, health care, and insurance. Typically, women have been bigger spenders in this area. When it comes to…