A few writers, including Mark Steyn, have written articles and books mocking France. They claim that France's population is shrinking and aging.
Let's disprove that claim once and for all.
According to the French Statistical Office, last year 796800 children were born. I don't know what's the death number, so let's use CIA data. The
CIA cites 9.14 dead people/1000 folks, so if France's population number is 62752136, then the death number is 573555. That means that the number of
births is bigger than the number of deaths by 223246. An increase of 223246 is not a decrease.
Now let's use CIA birth rate data. The CIA says that the French birth rate is 11.99 children/1000 folks, that means that last year 752399 children
were born. 573555 died last year, so the birth number is bigger than the death number by 178844. An increase of 178844 is not a decrease.
Mark Steyn and other idiots would spare themselves time if they just wrote:
I don't know what I'm talking about, but I hate the French, so I'll just write stupid articles.

[edit on 14-4-2007 by INeedHelp]