Scotland is face-to-face with a population bomb, but it isn’t the one the overpopulation fearmongers have spoken about for years. Rather, it is a “demographic time bomb,” according to Glasgow City Council leader Charles Gordon. Scotland currently has the lowest birthrate in Britain. At 1.49, the Scottish birthrate has fallen to its lowest level in the 150 years since they began keeping records. The consequences of the low birthrate are already becoming clear. The city of Glasgow will be forced to close 25 primary schools within the next two years.
Efforts are underway to combat Scotland’s demographic crisis. Measures have been introduced to encourage Scottish expatriates to return to their homeland and to convince foreign university students to remain in Scotland after their graduation, as well as to promote immigration to Scotland. No tax breaks or cash bonuses for parents who have more than one child have been introduced, but the idea is beginning to be discussed.
(Lizette Alvarez, “Scotland Takes Action to Halt Drop in Population,” The New York Times, 30 November 2003)
