Declining births: Declining fertility rates have
led to a declining number of births, and to a
changing population structure as these smaller
birth cohorts move up the population pyramid.
The proportion of children has been declining
for decades. Even the United Nations’ low
projection, which appears more likely to track
emerging fertility trends than the United Nations
medium projection, overestimates the annual
number of births in 2010, as the actual number
recorded was around 800,000 rather than
970,000 as in the low projection. However, the
sharp downward trend in births projected in the
low projection to less than 500,000 in 2045-50
is not implausible and could well occur.