this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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[–] maplesaga@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Its weird how birth rates started to fall dramatically in 1971, and continued to fall since then, as home price to median income somehow rose dramatically. Did something happen in 1971 that would oppress young people, some kind of gatekeeping mechanism that made them worse off financially?

https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/deu/germany/birth-rate

[–] Quittenbrot@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago

Did something happen in 1971

That's when birth control pill were firstly broadly adopted in Western societies. In Ireland, for example, where that was illegal, the baby boom phase lasted longer.

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 21 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So, the logical conclusion: raise pensions for the elderly, to be paid by the young that then can afford kids even less and at the same time cut spending on voluntary integration courses, so that even the motivated ones of the young refugees that consider to integrate and maybe stay are put off.
Yep, makes sense.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 3 points 2 days ago

Don't forget to give so little funds to child care that a lot of people can't find a place for their kid even though they have a right to one. Meaning young people often have to decide between kids or career

[–] sveltecider@lemmy.ca 27 points 2 days ago

Me too but nobody writes articles about it.

[–] arschflugkoerper@feddit.org 25 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No way! Who world have thought policy for old people could cause such issues! I am sure raising the retirement age and less part time jobs will fix this…….

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago

We need to tighten our belts, work harder and give more tax cuts to the rich! Oh, and more fossil fuel subsidies. Surely that'll fix the problem.

[–] TheV2@programming.dev 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

"than expected" - what? Not sure what kind of magic DW is attempting here, but the gravity of this problem of an already over-aging population has been known for a long time, taught in schools and already factored into political decisions - just not successfully.

[–] phneutral@feddit.org 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That’s the case with nearly all major problems we are facing today. Digitisation, automation, over-aging population, climate change β€” all of them were taught in school 25 years ago.

[–] Melchior@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago

Some of the problems are the solution to other problems. When you have an over-aging society you need to make the working members of society more productive. You can do that with digitisation and automation. A shrinking population also helps in fighting climate change. It also helps with housing, which is a massive issue right now.

The main issue is that a shrinking population and workforce means the economy is no longer growing. That creates a lot of issues in the current economic system.

[–] AAA@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

just not successfully

Depends on the POV. The politicians factored it in by almost exclusively making decisions for the old, and they're getting reelected. Quite successful.

They betrayed everyone else, and everyone else's future, for this.

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And is there anything else the young ones can do beside getting fucked?

Become rich and buy a politician. Or become ultra rich and buy an entire party of politicians. Maybe even multiple parties, just to make sure you get what you paid for no matter what the next election's outcome may be.

Old people are getting fucked over just as well, by the way. They are being betrayed with empty promises just like everyone else. This old vs. young thing is only a diversion to distract the population from the real problem: Rich vs. poor.

[–] NorskSud@lemmy.pt 7 points 2 days ago

How could anyone have predicted this!?Β 

They weren't particularly short to begin with so it's not that big of a deal.

[–] Nomad@infosec.pub 4 points 2 days ago

I'm doing my part. Had three kids so far.

[–] Flying_Penguin@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] JensSpahnpasta@feddit.org 16 points 2 days ago

You are not aging faster personally. But people are getting less children, so there are less younger people in your population increasing the average age.

[–] HansGruber@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Birthrate declining, deported immigrants, young people dying. Don't know what the real effect is.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 2 days ago

having far right political party raising sentiment of discouraging immigrants even from western countries to work in germany.

[–] dynamoMaus@feddit.org 3 points 2 days ago

Damn I need to restock my anti-aging cream. I do want to age faster than expected