A new study has warned countries that 97% of all countries will have a low total fertility rate by 2100 which will lead to populations shrinking.

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington study, fertility rates have declined since the 1950s and future fertility rates will continue to decline worldwide.

A new study reported by the Lancet disclosed that populations in 198 out of 204 countries will be shrinking due to changes in fertility among women.

The study revealed that the new trend of ‘baby boom’ and ‘baby bust’ will separate the whole world. The boom will be in poor countries with the presence of social and political instability. The wealthier countries will struggle to maintain economic growth due to lack of birth.

The report showcased that 155 of 204 countries, or approximately 76% of the population will have fertility rate replacement levels by 2050.

Sub-Saharan African countries such as Somalia, Tonga, Niger, Chad, Samoa and Tajikistan are capable to sustain their population by 2100, according to a study.

South Korea and Serbia like countries have 1.1 children per female, exposing them to challenges due to the workforce.

“The implications are immense. These future trends in fertility rates and live births will completely reconfigure the global economy and the international balance of power and will necessitate reorganizing societies,” co-lead author and lead research scientist at the IHME Natalia V Bhattacharjee said.

Co-lead author and acting assistant professor at IHME, Austin E Schumacher, supported the stance by describing sub-Saharan Africa has the highest fertility that can lead to humanitarian challenges or growth.

It is expressed that the birth rate has fallen per woman from 5 in 1950 to 2.2 in 2021.

Researchers shared that the tumbling birth rate in rich countries is due to education and employment among women who need to improve contraception and education in other regions as well.

This study was limited to countries that were short on resources to support the youngest population in political and economic instability. The authors said that this study is restricted to the quantity and quality of past data specifically for the pandemic period.

The study’s findings were based on surveys, census data, and other sources of information collected from 1950 to 2021 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study in partnership with more than 8,000 scientists from more than 150 countries. The key fertility indicators are at global, regional, and national levels.