Yet others argue that people who have elected to have few or no children will put aside more money for their retirement. They won't need children to care for them. They'll be able to afford the services themselves. Alarming predictions of the effects of overpopulation make headlines. Although some predict severe consequences with 11 billion people, others say our planet can reasonably support them.
Demographics is one of the more accurate sciences in predicting the future.
Yet even demographers disagree over the meaning of numbers. As Extension planners look into the future, we must rely on demographics to direct our efforts. We should expect some consistency among projections. We should also expect some disagreements about what those projections mean. Extension planners must join in interpreting the meaning of these numbers and plan initiatives to deal with impending social problems.