# Our shrinking and ageing world

An episode of [The Rachman Review](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1504048545), 24 Jul 2025, 28 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/therachmanreview/e/6880ea51e0a86cc3ab54a556/media.mp3

Humans have never been healthier or better fed. We’re living longer, but having fewer children - and many countries’ populations are now shrinking. Gideon discusses these trends with demographer Nicholas Eberstadt. Have smartphones played a role in our declining fertility? How will we look after our elderly people? Is migration the answer? Clip: CBC Free links to read more on this topic: The fight to revive Europe’s shrinking rural areas Population undercounting threatens public policy, scientists warn Japan urged to use gloomier population forecasts after plunge in births The unspoken truth about the baby bust Brain ageing is the best predictor of longevity, scientists find Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe. Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.