“Peeling back the layers of life in a rapidly depopulating world, the unique writing style reveals a complexity that catapults you into a future scenario that cannot be ignored.”
—Dr Pali Lehohla, Head of Statistics South Africa (2000–2017) and Chair of the UN Statistics Commission(2008-2009)
“An intriguing analysis of how our lives could be impacted by the changing demographic trends. A must-read for anyone interested in how the future could unfold. Captivating, carefully considered and well-argued.”
—Darrell Bricker, co-author of Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline
“Most countries’ declining birth (fertility) rates are now well below the sustainability level, with several adverse economic implications. In this tautly written and well-researched book, Shamil Ismail focuses on whether there will remain enough essential workers to maintain our urban infrastructure, or whether the lonely old (with little family support) will be living in crumbling dwellings. Malthus must be turning in his grave!”
—Professor Charles Goodhart, London School of Economics; co-author of The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival
“This book explores in magnificent detail just how much this long-term trend can reshape the world’s economy as well as the lives of ordinary people. Much credit must go to the author for the research he has done and the fascinating way he has used it to demonstrate the challenges we face as a species in the next hundred years.”
—Clem Sunter, former CEO and Chairman of Anglo American Gold and Uranium, and internationally acclaimed authority on scenario planning.
“The lockdowns in our economies were perhaps the only times in our lives that we truly appreciated our dependence on the workers we rarely notice. Shamil Ismail’s welcome focus on this critical and inelastic portion of the workforce—essential workers—refines the definition of the dependency ratio. If an increasing portion of a shrinking workforce is required to look after the elderly and another rising share to maintain Ismail’s focus—essential work—the effective labour force available to generate economic growth as we know it just got smaller.”
—Manoj Pradhan, Talking Heads Macroeconomics; co-author of The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival
