A chilling map is circulating on social networks: fertility rates in Europe are catastrophic âđ¶. Almost the entire continent is marked in red, with numbers well below the replacement level (2.1 children per woman) â ïž. Elon Musk, never one to shy away from alarmist comments on demographics, describes this trend as a 'great extinction' â and he may not be wrong đ§Źâł.
But why have we ended up here?
The reasons are multiple: economic precariousness đž, cost of living đ, difficulty in balancing career and family â°đšâđ©âđ§âđŠ, lack of support for young parents đŒ, growing individualism đ€łâŠ But thatâs not all.
We must also look at what we eat đ, what we breathe đ«ïž, and what we drink đ±. Industrial junk food, endocrine disruptors, the omnipresent pollution in the air as well as in water, all of this could have a profound â and largely underestimated â impact on our reproductive health. And what about the long-term effects of the health crisis, or even certain COVID vaccination campaigns? đâ Studies are still ongoing, but it is essential to dare to ask the right questions.
Public policies are struggling to reverse the trend đïž, and some countries, like South Korea or Italy, are already experiencing the repercussions: economic decline đ, accelerated aging đ”đŽ, tensions over pensions đ§Ÿ.
The question is no longer just demographic. It is civilizational. Do we still want to pass on, build, continue? đïžđ±
Or have we, collectively, drawn a line on the future â
