In recent years, many people have been discussing economic issues.
Everyone is complaining: wages are rising slowly, prices are rising quickly, it's getting harder to buy a house, and work pressure is increasing.
It seems that economic downturn is our biggest problem.
However, economic issues are just the tip of the iceberg, with more serious and deeper crises quietly approaching.
Next, let me tell you about three issues we really need to worry about.
Negative population growth, in simple terms, means that there are fewer births and more deaths, and the total population begins to decline.
Many countries, especially developed ones, have started to face this issue.
China, Japan, South Korea, and even some European countries are experiencing an intensification of negative population growth.
It may seem like a distant problem, but in reality, it has profoundly affected our lives.
Why is there negative population growth?
The reason is simple: fewer people are having children.
Young people today face a series of issues such as high housing prices, high education costs, and high work pressure, and many feel they dare not or do not want to have children.
In the past, families often had three or four children, but now, many couples choose not to have children or only have one.
This has directly led to a sharp decline in the number of newborns.
At the same time, life expectancy is increasing.
With the development of medical technology, people's average life expectancy continues to rise, and the number of elderly people is increasing.
Fewer newborns and more elderly people are the root causes of negative population growth.
What are the impacts of negative population growth?
First, the labor force decreases.
As the population decreases, there are fewer young people in the workforce, and factories and companies cannot recruit enough employees.
Without enough manpower to drive economic development, the overall productivity of the country will decline.
This is a fatal blow to a country's economy.
Second, the burden of elderly care increases.
Negative population growth is often accompanied by an intensification of aging.
With fewer young people and more elderly people, this means that more elderly people need to be cared for by society.
Pensions and medical expenses will become a huge burden.
Young people not only have to support themselves but also have to provide enough taxes to ensure the welfare of the elderly.
This puts a lot of pressure on young people and even further reduces their willingness to have children.
Lastly, consumer power decreases.
With fewer young people, the market's consumption capacity will also decline.
Industries such as housing, cars, education, and entertainment will face the problem of a shrinking consumer base.
Businesses cannot find enough customers, and economic vitality will also be affected.
With negative population growth, aging has become another increasingly serious issue.
Aging refers to the proportion of elderly people in society becoming higher and higher, while the proportion of young people becoming lower and lower.
Countries like China, Japan, and South Korea are aging particularly fast, and it has become a problem that society cannot ignore.
Why is aging intensifying?
The main reason for aging is the extension of life expectancy and the decline in fertility rates.
With the improvement of modern medical conditions, people are living longer and longer.
The average life expectancy in many countries has exceeded 80 years, but at the same time, the number of newborns is decreasing, which leads to an increasing proportion of the elderly in society.
What problems will deep aging bring?
The most direct consequence of aging is the increased burden on society.
The elderly need more medical resources and social security, and most of the costs of these protections are borne by working young people through taxes.
As the elderly population increases, the pressure on the social security system becomes greater.
In addition, the problem of labor shortage will become more serious.
A society with severe aging has fewer and fewer young workers, and many industries will face a situation where there is "no one to use."
Especially those industries that rely on the physical strength and creativity of young people will be greatly affected.
The most critical issue is the decline in innovation ability.
Young people are the main force of social innovation, but in an aging society, the number of young people gradually decreases, and the society's innovation ability and development vitality will also be limited.
This can cause the entire country to stagnate or even regress.
In addition to population and aging issues, the increase in local wars in the world has also brought greater uncertainty to the globe.
In recent years, we can see frequent local wars in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and other regions.
These wars may seem to be regional conflicts on the surface, but in reality, their impact is global.
Why are local wars increasing?
There are many complex reasons behind the increase in local wars.
Resource competition, religious conflicts, and political power struggles are all triggers for the outbreak of war.
In addition, inequality brought by globalization, resource shortages caused by climate change, and disputes between countries also make local wars more frequent.
Local wars not only affect the warring countries but also affect the whole world.
First, war leads to a large number of refugees displaced.
These refugees pour into other countries, bringing huge social and economic pressure to the receiving countries.
Second, war disrupts the global supply chain.
A war in one country often affects global trade and resource supply.
For example, wars in the Middle East may affect global oil supply, leading to a significant increase in energy prices.
What's more terrifying is that local wars may trigger larger-scale conflicts.
Some wars may seem to be local, but they are often supported and participated in by major powers.
If not handled properly, local conflicts may evolve into larger-scale wars, even affecting global peace and stability.
Faced with the issues of negative population growth, intensifying aging, and the increase in local wars, we cannot stand by.
These issues may seem far from our daily lives, but in reality, they are quietly changing our future.
We need to be well prepared and actively respond to these challenges.
Strengthening personal ability improvement and savings, in an era of economic uncertainty, having more skills and savings can make us more calm in the face of emergencies.
At the same time, we should pay attention to the changes in the world situation and understand the events that are happening globally.
Although individual power is limited, we can help more people understand these potential crises through information acquisition and dissemination.
In the era of globalization, no country and individual can truly be self-sufficient.
In summary, economic issues are just the tip of the iceberg, and the real crisis is gradually emerging.
Negative population growth, intensifying aging, and the increase in local wars, these issues are not only related to the development of countries and society but also affect everyone's future.
Now is the time for us to recognize and actively respond.
Only by being prepared and making preparations in advance can we remain calm and stable when the storm comes.
