How many kids should people have?
“People who have kids do need to have 3 kids to make up for those who have 0 or 1 kid or population will collapse…”
— Elon Musk, 26 June 2025 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
Subjects / Population
Population
13 answers
How do we not end up in Idiocracy?
“…if only if smart people don't reproduce but only dumb people do then everyone's going to be dumb…”
— Elon Musk, 13 February 2025 · Watch: LIVE: Elon Musk speaks at Dubai's World Governments Summit · 21:38 ↗ · In the archive
Why are birth rates falling?
“A declining birth rate happens towards the end of every civilization and is a function of extended prosperity. Caesar tried, and Augustus succeeded, in passing laws to encourage more children, but these were not enough.”
— Elon Musk, 30 July 2024 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
What’s the biggest problem humanity faces?
“The biggest problem that humanity faces is population collapse…”
— Elon Musk, 3 January 2024 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
Spaces with Cathie Wood: robots and humans
“I'm worried about humans declining quite significantly in the years to come because the birth rate is so low.”
— Elon Musk, 21 December 2023 · Watch: X Spaces with Cathie Wood (ARK Invest) (2023) · 1:06:18 ↗ · In the archive
On birth rates
“In three generations, maybe four generations, the population will be one tenth of its current size…”
— Elon Musk, 16 December 2023 · Watch: Atreju Festival · 4:14 ↗ · In the archive
Many childless adults say they'll never have children. How worried should we be?
“Population collapse is a massive threat to civilization”
— Elon Musk, 18 April 2023 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
Did low birth rates play a role in the fall of Rome?
“Low birthrate is under-appreciated as causal in the fall of civilizations. Rome was having birth rate issues even during the reign of Caesar.”
— Elon Musk, 17 April 2023 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
Isn't overpopulation still a global challenge?
“Population collapse is an existential problem for humanity, not overpopulation!”
— Elon Musk, 17 January 2023 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
What's driving the population collapse trend?
“Far too many people are under the illusion that Earth is overpopulated, even though birth rate trends are so obviously headed to population collapse”
— Elon Musk, 7 July 2022 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
Does China still have a one-child policy?
“Most people still think China has a one-child policy. China had its lowest birthdate ever last year, despite having a three-child policy! At current birth rates, China will lose ~40% of people every generation! Population collapse.”
— Elon Musk, 6 June 2022 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
Is the world facing overpopulation or underpopulation?
“We should be much more worried about population collapse Population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming”
— Elon Musk, 18 January 2022 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive
How serious is the global crash in fertility?
“Population collapse is 2nd biggest danger to civilization after AI imo”
— Elon Musk, 15 July 2020 · Post on X ↗ · In the archive