中国人口越来越少，为什么欧洲人口越来越多？

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the demographic challenges faced by East Asian countries, particularly China, Japan, and South Korea, highlighting the trend of declining birth rates and the resulting population decline, while contrasting this with Europe's approach to immigration as a solution to population issues [6][9][23]. Group 1: Population Trends in East Asia - The average fertility rate required for population replacement is 2.1, but China's rate was only 1.3 in 2020, leading to a negative population growth that is expected to continue [6][9]. - South Korea has the lowest fertility rate globally, with projections indicating that its population could drop to less than one-third of its current size in a century, despite government efforts to encourage childbirth [11][21]. - The United Nations predicts that China's population decline will exceed 10 million annually by the middle of this century, equivalent to losing a country the size of Sweden each year [9]. Group 2: Europe's Population Management - Europe, despite experiencing declining birth rates since the 19th century, has managed to stabilize and even grow its population through immigration, with over 6 million people moving to EU countries in 2023, primarily from non-EU nations [13][14]. - Immigration has become the primary factor offsetting natural population decline in Europe, with countries like Germany and Spain absorbing a significant portion of new arrivals [14][23]. - The article emphasizes that the influx of immigrants, particularly from Muslim-majority countries, not only increases the population base but also contributes to higher birth rates, thus prolonging population growth inertia in Europe [21][23]. Group 3: The Concept of Population Inertia - Population inertia refers to the delayed response of population changes to shifts in birth rates, where a decline in fertility does not immediately result in a population decrease due to existing demographic structures [17][18]. - East Asia is experiencing rapid shifts from population growth to decline due to quickly falling birth rates, while Europe benefits from a longer period of population inertia due to immigration [21][23]. - The article argues that once a demographic trend is established, reversing it is challenging, and immigration remains the most effective method to mitigate population decline [23]. Group 4: Challenges and Solutions in Immigration - East Asian countries face severe demographic challenges without effective long-term solutions, while Europe has developed extensive experience in managing immigration to address population issues [25][32]. - European countries have established research institutions to study demographic trends and implement diverse population policies, including open immigration policies to counteract population decline [25][32]. - The article highlights the importance of integrating immigrants into society to address potential cultural conflicts and social tensions arising from demographic changes [36][38].