An award-winning journalist and leading international social researcher make the provocative argument that the global population will soon decline - and that immigration will be the key to prospering in this new social, political and economic landscape

For half a century, statisticians, pundits and politicians have warned that a burgeoning population will soon overwhelm the earth's resources. But a growing number of experts are sounding a different alarm. Rather than continuing to increase exponentially, they argue, the global population is headed for a steep decline - and in many countries that decline has already begun.

In Empty Planet, John Ibbitson and Darrell Bricker find that a smaller global population will bring with it many benefits: fewer workers will command higher wages; the environment will improve; the risk of famine will wane; and falling birthrates in the developing world will bring greater affluence and autonomy for women.

But enormous disruption lies ahead too. We can already see the effects in Europe and parts of Asia, as ageing populations and worker shortages weaken the economy and impose crippling demands on healthcare and other social services. To limit the effects of that disruption, nations must resist the growing isolationism that is leading some societies to close themselves off just as openness becomes more critical to survival than ever.

Rigorously researched and deeply compelling, Empty Planet offers a vision of a future that we can no longer prevent - but that we can shape, if we choose.

Darrell Bricker (Author)
Darrell Bricker is CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs. He is the author of five books, most recently The Big Shift.

While too many believe that numbers are boring, Bricker believes they are incredibly useful and interesting. The problem lies in that people who are good with numbers tend not to be great storytellers. His writing has always focused on telling stories that break down the barrier between numbers and broader public understanding. There's always a story or tragedy and romance in the data. Bricker sees it as his job to find the story and tell it.

John Ibbitson (Author)
In a career spanning three decades, John Ibbitson has worked as a reporter and columnist for the Ottawa Citizen, Southam News, the National Post and, since 1999, the Globe and Mail, where he became Chief Political Writer in 2012 and Writer at Large in 2015.

He has written eighteen books, including The Landing which won the 2008 Governer General's Award for Children's Literature. His non-fiction books have been nominated for the National Newspaper Award, the Donnier Prize, the Twillium Book Award and the City of Toronto Book Award.