Final Demographic Thoughts From Hans Rosling

Thanks to Stuart Gietel-Basten for pointing me to an article from BBC summarizing their last interview with Hans Rosling before he died last month. This is not just a must-read article, it is one to be saved and trotted out periodically. Here are just a few of the highlights:

Why do I as a professor from public health speaking about health and demography get invited to Goldman Sachs [and] all these big banks around the world? Because I tell them I can see on my screen when economic growth comes, before you can see it. In the past, economic growth was driving demographics, and now it's the other way around.

First, I see decent life coming and I see children born-per-woman drop. I see the two-child family, and I see the economic growth starting in Vietnam, in Thailand… not only in China.

And this change is coming, so if you want to know where to invest in Africa go and look at demographics. Governments can't run bedrooms. Bedrooms run the world.

Many people who have a big heart and haven't thought so much they may think that Western Europe can solve the problems of the world by receiving all poor people and all refugees. That won't work. I think it's good that we receive many refugees, but I'd rather have them coming with their families together rather than forcing them out on these dangerous trips where they lose all their money to criminal organisations.If we can manage migration in the world, it can benefit the person who migrates with their family, the country from where they come and the country to where they go.

I didn't try to summarize what he was saying, because he had a wonderful way with words. He also had a wonderful handle on demography.