Elon Musk has a history of being outspoken regarding his belief that having more children globally is an urgent matter, recently stating on X, “Either Europe starts having large families or it will keep dying.”
Key Takeaways:
- Elon Musk shared a graphic on July 14 revealing that the population in the EU is rapidly declining.
- Data shows that the average fertility rate in Europe in 2023 was 1.38 children per woman — well below the 2.1 replacement rate.
- Statistics also show that the average age of mothers is rising.
The Details:
The graphic demonstrated Musk’s point by showcasing Eurostat’s recent data points for 2023 which indeed indicate a European demographic winter on the horizon if things don’t change soon.
Either Europe starts having large families or it will keep dying https://t.co/UNX72ZRn98
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2025
It is known that a healthy average fertility rate to keep a population going and growing is 2.1 children per woman, meaning each child-bearing age woman should give birth to about two children to keep a population rate stable (not accounting for immigration or major population death).
Worldwide, that number has been shrinking for many years, but Europe’s numbers are taking a concerning dip.
In 2022, the average fertility rate in the European Union (EU) was 1.46 children per woman. In 2023, that number lowered further to 1.38 children per woman. Broken down further, the lowest fertility countries in Europe show this same trend within Spain (1.12), Lithuania (1.18), and Malta (1.06) in 2023.
Bulgaria, France, and Hungary came in as the highest fertility European countries with rates of 1.81, 1.66, and 1.55. The country with the highest decrease in fertility from 2022 to 2023 was Czechia (1.64 to 1.46) while the most increased rates from 2022 to 2023 were found in Bulgaria (1.78 to 1.81) and Cypress (1.37 to 1.40). Looking back in the statistics, the levels seen in 2023 haven’t been seen since the early 2000s.
It was also found that the average age of mothers is increasing. In 2001, the average age was 29 and in 2023 it was 31.2. The average age for first-time mothers has also risen slightly from its first recorded age of 28 in 2013 to 29.8 in 2023.
The highest fertility rate in the EU no longer belongs to the 25-29 year olds, but to the 30-34 year olds.
Why It Matters:
What does all this mean? It means that on average — and if fertility rates remain the same or worsen — the EU is likely to have a smaller population in the coming generations as the older generations pass away.
Musk has long been raising the alarm regarding demographic winters in the EU and in the U.S. — and with statistics pouring in that favor these concerns, he isn’t likely to back down anytime soon.
Some commentators say Musk is exaggerating the situation by sometimes using inflammatory language such as “mass extinction.” Yet these new statistics do point to a looming problem for future generations, even if human beings don’t experience a ‘mass extinction’ event.
Go Deeper:
For more on the global population decrease, read the Live Action News articles below.
Greece expected to be first nation facing ‘population collapse’
World’s population expected to fall for first time since the Black Death
The American population is older now than ever before, and that’s a problem
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