underpopulation
Underpopulation is a demographic condition in which the number of people in a given area is small relative to the resources available or the social and economic needs of the community. It is typically discussed as the opposite of overpopulation, but the concepts are not simply inverses; underpopulation depends on technology, infrastructure, and policy as well as the size of the population. It can affect entire countries or localized areas such as rural regions.
Causes include persistently low birth rates—often below the replacement level of about 2.1 children per woman—aging
Effects of underpopulation can include labor shortages and a rising burden on workers in remaining roles, increased
Regions commonly affected include aging industrial nations such as Japan and parts of Western Europe, as well
Policy responses focus on increasing population or mitigating economic effects: pro-natalist measures, affordable family services, and