The world is sleepwalking towards certain social upheaval precipitated by decades-long falling birth rates, unless urgent action is taken, according to a leading scientist.

Writing in the Irish Times, Dr William Reville, emeritus professor of biochemistry at UCC, cited a recent McKinsey Global Institute report that details how falling fertility rates are reshaping global population. He also noted Ireland’s declining rates from 4.1 children per woman in 1960 to 1.54 and falling in 2022. A figure of 2.1 is needed for a population to simply remain stable.

If unchecked, the decline will cause the existing social contract to be drastically revised as the retired population grows and the working-age population declines rapidly.

One way to at least ameliorate the problem would be to increase low fertility rates but, he says, “hardly anyone sees this solution as even remotely likely to happen”.

“Very few think women who have grown accustomed to having one or no children will ever return to a higher birth rate. But, I believe this mindset could be changed by making changes to ensure the division of labour necessary to care for and raise children from birth onwards is divided strictly evenly between fathers and mothers”.