In Portugal, toy shops and schools are closing. Abandoned petrol stations and motels are being converted into nursing homes. In Italy, the retired population is soaring. Germany has the lowest birthrate in the world. It’s obvious that Europe has a challenge as its population gets older, with fewer and fewer babies born. Meanwhile, the European Union is trying to keep out migrants from Africa. Yet, it seems the continent desperately needs more young people to run its health services and look after its elderly. In an interesting analysis, The Guardian points to Sweden for clues of a solution: social support for parents, subsidised childcare, gender equality, and a relatively welcoming climate for immigrants. Does anyone notice the irony that we are shifting from worrying about a growing world population to worrying about societies with declining populations? The Optimist has been writing about it before: Who’s afraid of billions of people?