Myanmar has lost 2.3 million emigrants to Thailand since 2021 coup ignited a Civil War (2M+additional Burmese emigrated pre 2021). Burma risks losing these assimilatable Buddhists to Thailand forever. However, Thai xenophobia may just push many back post war.
Myanmar also likely has below replacement fertility. So emigration ages the developing country faster.
https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/26/millions-of-burmese-struggle-to-find-safety-in-thailand
Myanmar also likely has below replacement fertility. So emigration ages the developing country faster.
https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/26/millions-of-burmese-struggle-to-find-safety-in-thailand
The Economist
Millions of Burmese struggle to find safety in Thailand
Many refugees are left exposed
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Thailand with its 68 million people is one of the largest countries in the world to fall below 0.85 TFR (3X Taiwan, 15M larger than South Korea). Its economy,pension scheme,& workforce are in for a wild ride.
Birth numbers for March for Thailand were just released. Despite an awful January showing a fall of almost 15% better birth figures in both February & March improved things a bit & births now down 10.8% in the first quarter of the year. TFR still on track to be sub 0.80 sadly.
Birth numbers for March for Thailand were just released. Despite an awful January showing a fall of almost 15% better birth figures in both February & March improved things a bit & births now down 10.8% in the first quarter of the year. TFR still on track to be sub 0.80 sadly.
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Of all Central Asian countries here Turkmenistan is in worst shape. Mass emigration fuels population decline, horrifically bad governance also pushes. Tajikistan also has very high emigration but a TFR to partially make up for it. KZ has huge ethnic difference in fertility.
Uzbekistan falling fast but from 3.21 so it will likely not converge with KZ until 2028-2030. UZ also has a very decent population size & should just get to 50 million before plateauing. Kyrgyzstan may make it to 10 million before doing the same.
Back to Kazakhstan & the internal fertility differential. The fertility rate of ~3.0 for ethnic Kazakhs (~70% of the population) is roughly 3 times higher than the ~1.0 for ethnic Russians (15% of the population). This is based off of 2025 information from the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan falling fast but from 3.21 so it will likely not converge with KZ until 2028-2030. UZ also has a very decent population size & should just get to 50 million before plateauing. Kyrgyzstan may make it to 10 million before doing the same.
Back to Kazakhstan & the internal fertility differential. The fertility rate of ~3.0 for ethnic Kazakhs (~70% of the population) is roughly 3 times higher than the ~1.0 for ethnic Russians (15% of the population). This is based off of 2025 information from the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan
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Due to 13 consecutive years of net outmigration & higher average annual deaths Alaska is marching towards natural decline despite having the Nationโs 3rd highest fertility rate at 1.9.
https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alaska-population-loss-looms-with-fewer-births-and-more-deaths-in-an-aging-population/
https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alaska-population-loss-looms-with-fewer-births-and-more-deaths-in-an-aging-population/
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Outdated but interesting demographic information from Iraq. In 2018 Shia Arab Iraqis has a TFR of โฌ๏ธ4.0, Kurds 3.0, & Sunni Arab Iraqis 2.9. Sunni Arab Iraqi TFR cratered during & after war to destroy ISIS in Mosul & other predominately Sunni Arab areas.
Would estimate today that if Iraqi national TFR ~3.0 then Shia Arab has fallen to no more than 3.25, Sunni Arab ~2.5, & Kurdish 2.75 (very high in rural areas & ~2.3 in more urban). Kurds also emigrate to Europe proportionally more than any other major Iraqi group.
2024 census did find Shia Arabs recorded largest average household sizes while Kurdish areas (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok) has a significantly lower percentage of children under 5 compared to the national average indicating lower fertility & faster aging. Ditto Sunni Arab areas.
https://amwaj.media/en/article/deep-dive-inside-iraq-s-population-guessing-game
Would estimate today that if Iraqi national TFR ~3.0 then Shia Arab has fallen to no more than 3.25, Sunni Arab ~2.5, & Kurdish 2.75 (very high in rural areas & ~2.3 in more urban). Kurds also emigrate to Europe proportionally more than any other major Iraqi group.
2024 census did find Shia Arabs recorded largest average household sizes while Kurdish areas (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok) has a significantly lower percentage of children under 5 compared to the national average indicating lower fertility & faster aging. Ditto Sunni Arab areas.
https://amwaj.media/en/article/deep-dive-inside-iraq-s-population-guessing-game
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The fertility rate of Non Hispanic White Americans is higher than that of Mexico, the UK, Sri Lanka, Australia, Tunisia, Colombia, & Brazil to name a few. In 2025 having the largest U.S. race (191 million in size) with slightly increasing fertility rates above 1.5 is pretty significant.
https://x.com/birthgauge/status/2042261192433959239
https://x.com/birthgauge/status/2042261192433959239
X (formerly Twitter)
Birth Gauge (@BirthGauge) on X
The TFR in the US declined to 1.574 children per woman in 2025, down from 1.60 in 2024. Here are the TFRs by race (2024 in brackets):
Non-hispanic White 1.54 (1.53)
Non-hispanic Black 1.44 (1.50)
Hispanic 1.86 (1.93)
Non-hispanic White 1.54 (1.53)
Non-hispanic Black 1.44 (1.50)
Hispanic 1.86 (1.93)
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The US is one of the only countries in the developed world where Gen Alpha will be larger than Gen X. Gen X cohort years saw an average of 3,431,913 births annually. So far the U.S. Gen Alpha cohort years has seen an average of 3,790,268 annual births. Politically significant.
While European Boomers & Xers will be able to impose their political will to a degree on Millennial, Zoomer, & Alpha for many more years, in the U.S. younger generations will have the numbers to push back on everything from taxes to immigration to foreign policy as soon as 2030.
While European Boomers & Xers will be able to impose their political will to a degree on Millennial, Zoomer, & Alpha for many more years, in the U.S. younger generations will have the numbers to push back on everything from taxes to immigration to foreign policy as soon as 2030.
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The Ukrainian โbirths staircaseโ highlighting the demographic collapse there is truly horrific to behold. While births were already on a very bad trajectory before the war the births & fertility collapse from 2022 has made things existential. Unless at least half of the Ukrainian female core cohort (age 18-40) diaspora returns postwar its is hard to picture a national durvival scenario even with a TFR rebound.
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The principal fertile female population of China is headed for a massive baked in drop between now and 2050. This population will plummet by 42% from ~190 million to ~110 million (with a drop of almost half for the cohort already born that will be ages 24-40 in 2050, from 148M to 78M). Thus even if the China pulls off a fertility rebound miracle by 2050 to 1.8 TFR births then would still only be 5,500,000 against 7.92M today.
South Korea and Ukraine on track to make out even worse.
South Korea and Ukraine on track to make out even worse.
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While the Federation of Malaya may have ended decades ago Singapore & Malaysia are in many ways still demographically the same country with Chinese & Indians in both falling below lowest low TFR and Malays at more sustainable (but quickly dropping & below replacement) levels:
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TFRs in Sri Lanka by ethnicity in 2024 based on the 2024 Census:
Sinhalese 1.2
Sri Lanka Tamil 1.5
Indian Tamil 1.7
Moor/Muslim 2.0
Others 1.3
If this ethnic fertility is largely maintained then by 2050 the Buddhist Sinhalese majority would fall from ~75% today to just 2/3rds by 2050, Hindu Tamils would increase from ~15% today to ~17% by 2050, & Sri Lankan Muslims (Moors) would increase from ~10% today to 15% by 2050.
https://x.com/birthgauge/status/2044867956732022935
Sinhalese 1.2
Sri Lanka Tamil 1.5
Indian Tamil 1.7
Moor/Muslim 2.0
Others 1.3
If this ethnic fertility is largely maintained then by 2050 the Buddhist Sinhalese majority would fall from ~75% today to just 2/3rds by 2050, Hindu Tamils would increase from ~15% today to ~17% by 2050, & Sri Lankan Muslims (Moors) would increase from ~10% today to 15% by 2050.
https://x.com/birthgauge/status/2044867956732022935
X (formerly Twitter)
Birth Gauge (@BirthGauge) on X
TFRs in Sri Lanka by ethnicity in 2024:
Sinhalese 1.2
Sri Lanka Tamil 1.5
Indian Tamil 1.7
Moor/Muslim 2.0
Others 1.3
Sinhalese 1.2
Sri Lanka Tamil 1.5
Indian Tamil 1.7
Moor/Muslim 2.0
Others 1.3
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Chinese diaspora is almost as demographically cooked as the home country. In Canada,Chinese have a TFR as low as 0.90 with Chinese women being 59.6% childless. In Australia, Chinese women have a TFR of 0.96 according to ABS. At or below lowest low of 1.3 almost everywhere else,
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The existential disaster for Ukraine from the war is that ~56% of Ukrainian refugees currently abroad are under the age of 35 including 1,798,900 children whoโve now spent 4 years integrating into foreign education systems. Next generation may not return.
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-third-ukraines-children-remain-displaced-four-years-war-unicef
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-third-ukraines-children-remain-displaced-four-years-war-unicef
UNICEF
More than a third of Ukraineโs children remain displaced four years into war โ UNICEF
GENEVA/KYIV, 17 February 2026 โ More than a third of Ukraineโs children โ 2,589,900 โ remain displaced as the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. This includes more than 791,000 children inside Ukraine and nearly 1,798,900 children living as refugees outsideโฆ
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South Korea is unique in the world for its density of (& acceptance for) so called "No-Kids Zones". Across the RoK Over 500 cafes, restaurants, & public facilities (including some libraries) explicitly ban children under the age of 13 to maintain a quiet atmosphere for adults.
Possible impact of such zones is that they can psychologically & socially discourage young adults from transitioning into parenthood. A few dozen across the country likely would have little impact but the normalization of hundreds of these zones signals children are a nuisance.
Possible impact of such zones is that they can psychologically & socially discourage young adults from transitioning into parenthood. A few dozen across the country likely would have little impact but the normalization of hundreds of these zones signals children are a nuisance.
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Demographics Now and Then
South Korea is unique in the world for its density of (& acceptance for) so called "No-Kids Zones". Across the RoK Over 500 cafes, restaurants, & public facilities (including some libraries) explicitly ban children under the age of 13 to maintain a quietโฆ
Countries like South Korea have managed to create a more effective one child policy than even the Peoples Republic of China pulled off. Taiwan has also embraced discouraging children in more spaces as segments of society become more hostile to children.
https://www.children.org.tw/english/news_detail/2024_public_spaces_child_friendly_survey
https://www.children.org.tw/english/news_detail/2024_public_spaces_child_friendly_survey
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็ฆ่ฏ็
CWLF Survey: Public Spaces Remain Child-Unfriendly, 42.6% of Families Face Stigma::ๆๆฐๆถๆฏ(่ฑ)
Child Welfare League Foundation website
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