Isn’t economic growth largely predicated in population growth? Some argue “no” but I find them unconvincing. My fear is that the business leadership community will be very, very slow to adapt to a reality where growth is much, much more difficult to achieve (even modest growth). The word “sustainable” will necessarily more intrinsic to MBA curriculum, but it will be decades before old “continuous growth”-centric mindsets are displaced.
I agree. If the population falls, it is likely that consumption falls and we enter into a "degrowth" phase. We can look to Japan for what this heralds - flat or falling GDP, abandonment of less desirable cities, etc.
Population growth tends to drive economic growth (increasing both demand and capacity).
It's not the only driver of demand. For example, a substantial portion of the existing population would like to increase their consumption (literally billions of people).
Here’s a gift link to read the guest essay, if anyone is having trouble with the paywall this morning: https://nyti.ms/3Lufb21