From youth bulges to graying societies: The demographic dynamics that are upending the world

Population ebbs and flows are having geopolitical consequences.

By: John Rennie Short, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 31, 2026

Words: 1,437

Last Updated: 4 months ago

By John Rennie Short, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Government-shaking protests in Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal and Sri Lanka – to name a few – have all in recent years been linked to what demographers call a “youth bulge.” Meanwhile, the economic slowdown in China and ballooning public debt in the United States are in part due to the two powers’ aging populations. In contrast, recent economic growth in …

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