Odd Lots · Thursday, July 2, 2026
Dan Wong highlights the alarming decline in China's Total Fertility Rate (TFR), with Shanghai reporting a TFR of 0.6, on par with Taipei and Seoul. This demographic crisis, with half the population expected to be over 65 in 20 years, raises serious questions about the future functionality of both cities and the country as a whole.
“And so, you know, how can this function when you know in a couple of years and something like I think twenty years, half the population will be north of sixty five. How can the city function when half the people expect to be retired? And how can the country function when you know there's no young people.”
“So the national TFR rate in China, and this is the official data is one point oh high is zero point six, which is on par with Taipei and Soul.”
“And there are aspects the richest parts of Shanghai the TFR official TFR is like zero point four.”