[defrost]

> are the cause of drop in number of children born in all countries.

Yes.

> This seems to be driving us to extinction as a species

No.

There are more people alive now than there ever has been. Ever.

This will continue until at least 2100 when numbers may finally peak and then fall.

When human populations numbers fall there is no sane reason to think that they will plummet to zero.

It is far more likely numbers will decrease to the mid 10 billions and more or less stabilise.

[drKarl]

> This will continue until at least 2100 when numbers may finally peak and then fall.

That's due to the higher fertility rate of countries like Niger, Angola etc which far outpace the declining rates of most of the rest of the world like China, Russia, Europe, Japan, South Corea, USA, etc.

[arkey]

After reading the comments I understand this MUST mean people in Niger, Angola, etc. are more financially ready to have kids than people in Europe, Japan, USA, South Corea, etc.