--- title: "Elon Musk: Population Collapse Is “Potentially the Greatest Risk to the Future of Civilization”" description: "On Monday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared a Wall Street Journal report, which showed that US population growth rates are grinding to a halt." date: "2021-07-28" modified: "2021-07-28" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-population-risk-civilization" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "population" - "population growth" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk: Population Collapse Is “Potentially the Greatest Risk to the Future of Civilization” ![On Monday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared a Wall Street Journal report, which showed that US population growth rates are grinding to a halt.]() *\Image: Colin Woodcock via Public Domain Pictures\* ## Population Collapse Tesla CEO Elon Musk is worried about stalling population growth. On Monday, the [billionaire shared]() an alarming [*Wall Street Journal* report]() that shows the US population growth rate grinding to a halt. "Population collapse is potentially the greatest risk to the future of civilization," he said — adding to the chorus over growing concerns that stalling birth rates worldwide could [spell disaster](). According to the report, estimates show that the US population grew only 0.35 percent between July 2019 and July 2020, the lowest rate ever documented, according to the *WSJ*. Unsurprisingly, that's in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If it continues, though, slowing population growth could spell bad news for the economy. The growth rates of working-age populations are usually the backbone of economic growth. A shrinking labor force could eventually plunge the country into economic turmoil, the *Journal* warned, with the risk of rising inflation and stagnation. At the same time, though, a smaller population would consume fewer resources in the face of environmental disaster. ## Bringing Life to Mars Earlier this month, Musk [had opined]() that "population collapse is a much bigger problem than people realize and that’s just for Earth," while nothing noting that he was trying to "set a good example" by having a child with partner Claire "Grimes" Boucher. Stalling populations could also make it extremely difficult for humanity to go interplanetary — which is one of Musk's key life goals. "Mars has a great need for people, seeing as population is currently zero," he added. "Humans are the custodians of other life on Earth. Let us bring life to Mars!" With women having fewer children globally, Musk even expressed concern that [civilization itself could eventually collapse](). "Between civilization ending with a bang or a whimper, this trend suggests the latter," Musk wrote in a [follow-up tweet]() earlier this month. And economists tend to agree. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk says population collapse 'potentially the greatest risk to the future of civilization']() \[*The Hill*\] **More on population growth:** *[Population Decline Is Turning Earth Into a Ghost Town, Experts Say]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()