Global atheism and aging populations

Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020.

The current global atheist population mostly resides in East Asia (particularly China) and in secular Europe/Australia primarily among whites. See: Asian atheism and European atheism and 21st century decline and Western atheism and race

As can be seen below, global atheism is facing significant challenges in terms of its aging populations and it is expected to shrink in terms of its market share of the world's population (see: Desecularization).

Fertility rates and global atheism facing aging populations

See also: Causes of desecularization

The cause of many irreligious countries having aging populations is their sub-replacement fertility rates. Michael Blume, a researcher at the University of Jena in Germany, wrote about the sub-replacement level of fertility among atheistic populations: "Most societies or communities that have espoused atheistic beliefs have not survived more than a century." Blume also indicated concerning concerning his research on this matter: "What I found was the complete lack of a single case of a secular population, community or movement that would just manage to retain replacement level." See also: Atheism and sexuality

The Washington Post wrote about the United States and fertility rates for various religious groups:

“

According to Pew's data, the average Mormon can expect to make 3.4 babies in his or her lifetime. Jews, Catholics, and most flavors of Protestantism have fertility rates ranging from 2 to 2.5. At the low end of the baby-making spectrum you've got atheists, with 1.6 kids, and agnostics, who average only 1.3.

”

= East Asia's aging population

See also: Asian atheism

Discover Magazine points out that most of the world's atheists live in East Asia.

CNBC reported in 2015: {{Cquote|If stock market volatility, slowing economies, and low commodity prices were not enough of a problem for East Asia, many countries in the region now have to worry about losing as much as 15 percent of their working-age population by 2040, according to the World Bank.

In a report released Wednesday, the World Bank said aging population and low fertility rates are to blame as 36 percent of the world's population over 65 currently live in East Asia. That's 211 million people and it is projected to rise over time.

China's aging population

See also: Growth of Christianity in China

China has the largest atheists population in the world (see: Atheist population). The Chinese population is rapidly aging, due to a lower mortality rate and its former one child policy. This will lead to a pension problem for the Chinese government. See: Asian atheism

Like most religious conservatives within Abrahamic religions, Evangelical Christians do have higher than replacement levels of births (see: Desecularization). China's demographics in terms of the age of its population due to the rapid growth of evangelical Christianity in China (see: Growth of Christianity in China).

Secular Europe and its countries aging populations

See also: European atheism and 21st century decline

In 2014, the Pew Research Forum indicated that Europe will go from 11% of the world's population to 7% of the world's population by 2050.

See also: Secular Europe and Growth of global desecularization

Giuseppe Carone and Declan Costello of the International Monetary Fund projected in September of 2006 that the ratio of retirees to workers in Europe will double to 0.54 by 2050 (from four workers per retiree to two workers per retiree).

In 2014, the Pew Research Forum indicated that Europe will go from 11% of the world's population to 7% of the world's population by 2050. The cause of this matter is the sub-replacement level of secular Europeans and the higher fertility rates of religious countries in the world.

However, within secular Europe, there are religious sub-populations seeing significant growth which along with religious immigrants will cause a desecularization of Europe sometime in the 21st century (see: European atheism and 21st century decline).

Ed West wrote in Britain's newspaper The Telegraph:

“

Across the western world the fertility rate of religious conservatives far outstrips that of non-believers, so much so that modern liberal secularism is endangered. That, anyway, is the thesis of Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?, a fascinating new book by Eric Kaufmann of Birkbeck University, which is published later this month. It may well be one of the most significant books of our era.”

”

Europe's aging population is a serious issue and it will stress its various pension systems.