Earth's demographic myth

What is startling about their conclusions are the imminent population declines in the developing world.

EMPTY PLANET: The Shock of Global Population Decline
 

Darrell Bricker & John Ibbitson

Hachette India

Pages 288; Rs 599

The most authoritative — and depressing — projections for world population growth made so far have been by the United Nations: Nine billion people on the planet by the year 2050, ballooning to 11 billion by the end of the century, perhaps leaving only standing room on earth. It is easy to imagine a planet devastated by overexploitation of natural resources. But are these dire predictions valid?

Darrell Bricker, CEO of the research firm Ipsos Public Affairs, and Canadian journalist John Ibbitson paint a contrarian