Germany is aging and shrinking much faster than expected

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-is-aging-and-shrinking-much-faster-than-expected/a-76157438

60 points · 21 comments · view on lemmy.world

21 Comments

sveltecider@lemmy.ca · 27 pts · 193d

Me too but nobody writes articles about it.

arschflugkoerper@feddit.org · 25 pts · 193d (1 reply)

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 pts · 193d

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.

Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 21 pts · 193d (1 reply)

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 pts · 193d

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

TheV2@programming.dev · 12 pts · 193d (5 replies)

"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 pts · 193d (1 reply)

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

Melchior@feddit.org · 2 pts · 193d

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 pts · 193d (2 replies)

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 pts · 192d (1 reply)

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

trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 192d

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 pts · 193d

How could anyone have predicted this!? 

ArgumentativeMonotheist@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 193d

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

maplesaga@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 192d (1 reply)

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 pts · 192d

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.

dynamoMaus@feddit.org · 3 pts · 193d

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

Flying_Penguin@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 193d (3 replies)

How does one age faster?

JensSpahnpasta@feddit.org · 16 pts · 193d

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 pts · 193d (1 reply)

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

Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 193d

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

Nomad@infosec.pub · 3 pts · 193d

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