A World of 8 Billion

Overarching theme:

Over the three days we will walk through the three main drivers of population change—fertility, mortality, and migration—and discuss historical and projected trends. We will highlight regional differences in the political, economic, and social implications of those trends, including their relationship to conflict and economic prosperity. By the end of the series, we will have a clearer sense of whether the world of the future will be a better one than the world of the present.

Day 1: Fertility: Human populations generally go through a demographic transition from high fertility and mortality to low. We will discuss the revolution in human birth patterns that have led to widespread population aging today.

Day 2: Mortality: Life expectancy has improved so much over the last two centuries that we have in essence added an extra life. Yet, many health challenges still remain, including in wealthy countries.

Day 3: Migration: No demographic trend is more politically charged than migration. We will look at both conflict and economic migration and explore the difficulties in disentangling the two.

Recommended Reading (optional):

• 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World
• Crowded Coasts Put 1 in 10 Americans at Risk for Floods, Other Hazards
• Like the United States and Europe, the Asia-Pacific Region Is Experiencing Low Fertility and Population Aging
• Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Jennifer Sciubba
• Population Trends and the Future of US Competitiveness