Musk says Europe could ‘die out’

(MENAFN) Tech billionaire Elon Musk has warned that Europe risks “dying out” unless it addresses its demographic challenges by increasing birth rates. Responding on X to Scottish data showing 34% more deaths than births in early 2025, Musk emphasized that Europe’s birth rate must at least reach the replacement level to sustain its population.

The replacement fertility rate is typically around 2.1 children per woman, accounting for child mortality and gender balance, but some studies suggest the true threshold for long-term population survival may be closer to 2.7 children per woman. Currently, fertility rates in England and Wales dropped to 1.4 in 2024, with Scotland even lower at 1.3, both well below replacement levels. The EU overall has seen a steady decline, hitting a record low of 1.4 births per woman in 2023.

Musk, who has fathered at least 14 children and invested millions in fertility research, has repeatedly sounded the alarm on Europe’s demographic decline. He warns that this issue extends globally, claiming that civilization could collapse if birth rates don’t improve, and has suggested that population decline poses a bigger threat than climate change.

Globally, fertility rates have been falling for over five decades. UN data shows the average was around 2.2 births per woman in 2024, down from 5 in the 1970s. Less than half of the world’s countries had fertility at or above replacement level last year, with only a small fraction — mainly in parts of Africa and the Middle East — maintaining very high birth rates.

Russia is also facing a demographic crisis, with its official statistics agency reporting the lowest birth numbers since 1999 and a fertility rate of 1.4 in 2024.

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