UN Commission Asserts Low Asian Birth Rate Will Result in Poor Elderly

In its Friday Fax, the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute writes that a UN publication warns of population decreases in Asia that will cause poverty for many elderly people, especially women.  An ageing population, probably linked to a decreasing birth rate, will mean insufficient workers to maintain economic protection for the aged.

Europe has for some time been relying in immigration to fill its worker positions, but many people have pointed to the population increases in Asia as assuring Asia's ability to maintain stability.  However, the UN report now sounds the warning for Asia.   The financial crisis in 1997 highlighted the problem when many Asian children could not financially support their parents and the social system did not pick p the slack.   Asian families now have fewer children to share the support of the family.

The report says, "It's been known for many years that the 'graying population' of developed countries would create socio-economic problems in the not so distant future. But UN/ESCAP population forecasts for Asia and the Pacific predict an even greater social upheaval, since, compared to more developed nations, many developing countries in this region have far fewer social programs in place to care for their rapidly graying populations."

There is nothing to prevent the fertility rate from falling as low as Europe's. That includes Japan, which was held up not long ago as a prime example of a high risk of overpopulation.

Source: Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute; May 22, 2002 as quoted in the Pro-Life Infonet 5/23/02 #2718

This is from their Friday Fax for May 22.  For the complete article and other articles on the population problem, especially in relation to the UN, visit their web site www.c-fam.org and look at the listing of Faxes.