On: 8k years ago, 17 women reproduced for every 1 man

[oivey]

No, even with lower birth rates there are going to continue to be many, many humans on earth.

[kspacewalk2 → oivey]

If fertility rates remain below replacement levels, then eventually we will go extinct. How far below replacement determines how quickly this will happen.

[francisofascii → kspacewalk2]

The low fertility rate is not very uniform across cultures. Some pockets of society have high fertility rates which would keep things going. Also, fertility rate cultural norms can easily reverse a few generations down the line.

[kspacewalk2 → francisofascii]

I'm speaking of the overall, global fertility rate, which is currently around 2.3.

[raspyberr → kspacewalk2]

If there are fewer people, there's less competition and more resources, people get more stuff, people get happier, and have more children.

[SoftTalker → raspyberr]

Happier people with more resources have fewer children.

Poor people who lack resources have more children.

[oivey → kspacewalk2]

Yes, and at current rates it would take many, many generations for extinction to occur. Do the math with whatever birth rate you want to use. It’s not like birth rate is likely to stay constant over such a long period, either.

[PhasmaFelis → kspacewalk2]

The current trend does not determine long-term future behavior, any more previous trend of rapidly rising population did.

[beebeepka → kspacewalk2]

Human population is still growing faster than we can manage long term, so it's way too early to worry