Economist Jesús Fernández-Villaverde highlights a dramatic fall in total fertility: Argentina’s total fertility rate has plunged to 1.05 from 2.3 in 2014 - a decline of over 50% in a decade - and Mexico’s rate sits near 1.2, with a screenshot attributed to the Argentine statistical agency shown. He places these figures in a global context, noting that 219 of 236 countries and territories display clear negative fertility trends and that most of the remaining cases likely trend downward as well, with Israel as the lone notable exception. He argues this is a widespread demographic shift rather than the result of specific national leaders, parties or celebrities.
Responses emphasize how rapid and widespread the fall is: commentators recall Japan as an early example and point to concurrent sharp drops across Latin America (Bolivia, Mexico, Argentina) with possible similar revelations from Peru and Ecuador. The core claim is that fertility decline is a near-global phenomenon with powerful demographic and policy implications, and that attributing it to idiosyncratic domestic causes is misleading. The post frames the decline as striking in pace and scale, prompting urgent questions about future economic and social consequences.
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