Population control is always a workhorse for all totalitarian regimes.
The demographic challenge.
During the last quarter of the 20th century, the world lived under the constant fear of unchecked population growth, which surged from 1.6 billion to approximately 6 billion in just 100 years. Projections warned that this exponential rise would outstrip available resources, prompting the organization of Population Summits. In the early 21st century, demographic concerns merged with environmental ones: pollution levels became unsustainable, and imminent climate change was predicted to threaten life on Earth. Humanity itself, with its exploitative tendencies, was labeled the culprit, reinforcing the urgency to curb population growth.
More recently, however, an opposite concern has arisen population decline. Fertility rates across the developed world have fallen below the replacement level, and many countries once considered part of the Third World are approaching or have already dipped below the 2.1 children per woman threshold. Some forecasts suggest the global population will begin an irreversible decline by 2100, with some even predicting this by 2050.
Both prevailing narratives underscore how vital population control is to those in power. Initially, Malthusian and eugenic theories resurfaced, emphasizing that unchecked population growth among the poor would strain the economy and degrade the “race.” Thus, birth control measures were aimed primarily at impoverished communities. In recent years, neoliberalism has prioritized the “homo economicus” the working-age population (20-65 years) while viewing dependents as burdens. Efforts to control population have included legalizing abortion and, more recently, promoting euthanasia.
Today, population remains central to national prosperity, as seen in analyses by global powers vying for dominance. China’s major vulnerability is its declining population, a legacy of the one-child policy. In aging Europe, reliance on young immigrant labor is inevitable, despite growing political rhetoric about racial purity. However, this immigration will be highly selective, favoring the young and well-educated, effectively continuing the legacy of brain drain and modern colonialism.
The United States, facing similar fertility challenges, leverages its relatively stable population numbers, partly sustained by immigrant births. This strength is ironic, given the U.S. role in promoting global population control through international bodies and reproductive health initiatives.
Reducing fertility once hailed as a triumph of lower infant mortality and improved living standards is now framed as a looming crisis. What should benefit all, especially the historically disadvantaged, is now seen as a threat by global elites, who responded to post-war population booms with aggressive anti-natalist policies. These measures have disrupted population age structures, bringing further hardships to vulnerable populations.
As power becomes more centralized, totalitarian tendencies grow. Control is no longer just about numbers but also about demographics. Hannah Arendt warned that each new human life poses a unique challenge to totalitarian regimes, representing an uncharted frontier.
This magazine seeks to tackle these issues critically and creatively, unveiling the realities behind the narrative of a “demographic winter” and countering the sexist claim that women’s declining birth rates reflect selfishness. Our aim is to contribute meaningfully to this debate.
