Reuters (November 1)
Expect some Brexit volatility for the pound. “With less than five months until the marriage is due to end, the two sides have yet to finalise a divorce settlement and if none is made by the end of March,” the current consensus is that “sterling will fall to $1.20.” The same poll of economists predicted “the pound would bounce to $1.35 if a deal is made.”
The Atlantic (April 25)
“More and more Americans are first sharing a home, then having children. Marriage comes later, if at all.” According to the Pew Research Center “35 percent of all unmarried parents are now living together, up from 20 percent of unmarried parents in 1997” and less than 1 percent in 1968. Aside from changing social norms, much of the trend appears to be linked to economic reasons and financial instability. “In response to an unintended pregnancy, a couple is three times more likely to move in together than get married.”
Tags: Children, Economic, Financial instability, Marriage, Parents, Pew, Social norms, U.S., Unmarried
Financial Times (January 14)
“Decades of anaemic wage increases, lower job security and lacklustre consumption” have undermined a generation of Japanese who are now coming to age. Dismal economic factors have “stripped away” their incentives “to leave home, buy cars, marry, have children, take risks and generally grow up.”
Tags: Anaemic, Cars, Children, Consumption, Dismal, Incentives, Japan, Job security, Marriage, Risks, Wages
Chosun Ilbo (August 29)
“Korea’s birthrate hit a record low last year due to a declining population of women of childbearing age and as a growing number of women married later in life.” Japan may be lamenting its own ultra-low birthrate of about 1.4%, but things are even worse in South Korea where the birthrate is just 1.187%. Unless the rate increases, South Koreans will die out by 2750. Based on similar projections, the Japanese are expected to last an additional 261 years before disappearing in 3011.
Tags: Birthrate, Childbearing, Japan, Marriage, Population, Projections, South Korea
Washington Post (February 9)
“The big demographic trends shaping the world are mysterious and often overlooked.” The dramatic Arab Spring has largely overshadowed one of these. A flight from marriage has caused birth rates to drop precipitously. Over the past three decades, “twenty-two Muslim countries and territories had fertility declines of 50 percent or more. The sharpest drops were in Iran, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Libya, Albania, Qatar and Kuwait, which all recorded declines of 60 percent or more.” The current youth bulge in many Arab societies will quickly give way to the graying society characteristic of Japan and Europe.
Tags: Arab, Demographic trends, Europe, Fertility, Graying society, Japan, Marriage, Muslim countries, Youth bulge
Euromoney (November issue)
“Asia’s young population has long been the envy of the west, but several of Asia’s most developed economies, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, were among the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world this year as a result of rising education levels, more women working long hours and people getting married later, among other factors…. This presents many threats, but foremost among them are slowing economic growth and the need to provide income support for more elderly populations.”
“Asia’s young population has long been the envy of the west, but several of Asia’s most developed economies, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, were among the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world this year as a result of rising education levels, more women working long hours and people getting married later, among other factors…. This presents many threats, but foremost among them are slowing economic growth and the need to provide income support for more elderly populations.”