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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A lot of Americans are saving way more than they need to.</li><li>That's largely due to anxiety about higher costs of living, especially in retirement, experts told BI.</li></ul>Being thrifty is a full-time job, one self-professed frugal spender told Business Insider. A 32-year-old based in Michigan, she's nailed down the science of cost-cutting, whittling her necessary expenditures to just $2,000 a month—around a third of her take-home pay.Despite making six figures, she pours much of her free time into frugal pursuits, like shopping secondhand and spending 30 hours a week making virtually all her food from scratch, including bread, pasta, and canned goods.At this point, it's more of a way of life, she said, requesting that she remain anonymous due to the public nature of her work. She said she's not planning on giving up her frugal habits anytime soon, despite the added inconvenience."I've definitely felt burned out by it at times," she said. "I think if either my fiancé or I were to lose our jobs, I think it would be much more stressful."Her anxiety about being financially insecure — despite being relatively well off — is becoming more common.While Americans are notorious for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-x-baby-boomers-savings-cant-afford-retirement-2024-4">undersaving</a> and overspending, there's a small but growing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-saving-henrys-401k-paycheck-to-paycheck-high-earners-millennials-2023-11">cohort of oversavers</a>—a group that socks away a lot more than the recommended 15%-20% of their gross income a year, despite having solid finances overall.That's largely driven by a more acute awareness of a higher cost of living, financial experts told BI, with Americans still scarred by the sharp rise in prices several years ago when inflation was raging around 9%.There are signs that the ranks of the oversavers in America are growing. A 2024 Bank of America study on <a target="_blank" href="https://ustrustaem.fs.ml.com/content/dam/ust/articles/pdf/2024BoA-PB_Study_of_Wealthy_Americans.pdf">wealthy Americans</a> found that 55% of people ages 21-43 increased their cash holdings over the last two years, despite having at least $3 million in investable assets. On average, the group had around 18% of their portfolios allocated in cash, much more than the 2%-10% <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/investing-insights/percentage-of-cash-in-my-portfolio.html">recommended</a> by financial professionals. <a target="_blank" href="https://subredditstats.com/r/fire">Membership</a> on the subreddit r/<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/financial-independence-retire-early">FIRE</a>—a forum used by high-earning, high-saving individuals looking to amass enough wealth to retire early — has seen a 265% rise in the past three years, according to the analytics site Subreddit Stats.The subreddit r/<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://subredditstats.com/r/henryfinance">HENRYFinance</a>—also populated by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.notion.so/America-s-cost-of-living-crisis-is-creating-a-population-of-over-savers-112f0f4b6661800e9c0ecd6024798ce2?pvs=21">high-earners</a> who swap wealth-building tips—has seen an even bigger explosion in that timeframe, with membership up over 9,000%.The wealthy are increasingly trying to cut costs. The discount chain <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-is-so-bad-wealthy-shopping-at-dollar-stores-2023-9">Dollar Tree</a> saw 3.4 million new customers from households <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-tree-will-sell-7-dollar-items-straying-from-model-2024-3">earning over $125,000</a> last year, the firm said in its first-quarter earnings call. High-income Americans are also more likely than other consumers to use coupons and shop secondhand. According to one study, 89% of households earning between $175,000 and $199,999 said they <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/affluent-americans-lead-charge-in-online-coupon-surge-as-frustration-with-the-economy-lingers-new-study-finds-302173624.html#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20the%20highest%20segment,between%20the%20different%20age%20groups.">redeem coupon codes</a>, more than any other income group, and 9 out of 10 Americans making over $175,000 have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shoppers-at-all-income-levels-seek-resale-first-as-economy-falters-301653101.html">purchased a resale item</a>, 14 percentage points higher than the average, another poll found.Kitty Ritchie, a financial advisor at Drucker Wealth Management, says she's seeing more clients who appear terrified to spend their savings, even as they age into retirement with ample cash set aside for emergencies."I think there are more people worried about spending the money. It's the ones that have accumulated it, they don't want to lose [it]," she said.<h2 id="7ab78d22-7b87-4695-bea0-c1da59d28026">Cost-of-living stress</h2>The pace of inflation has cooled significantly, but many Americans—even wealthy ones—are still dismayed that many costs are still higher overall."Even though people with six-figure incomes have a sizable amount of money coming in on paper, cost of living pressures are cutting into that pretty quickly," Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate, said.High-income Americans may also be sensing less job security in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-slump-professional-white-collar-jobs-recession-high-salary-2024-4">white-collar sector</a>, he noted. Companies have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.challengergray.com/blog/job-cuts-fall-in-october-2024-but-ytd-up-4-from-last-year/">announced 664,839 job cuts</a> through the first 10 months of the year—the highest year-to-date total recorded since 2020, according to Challenger, Gray &amp; Christmas.Those uncertainties amplify <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-social-security-gen-z-millennials-uncertainty-fears-pensions-2024-4">fears of not retiring on time</a>, or at all, the 32-year-old saver from Michigan told BI. She pointed to her father, who depleted his retirement savings early after having to pay for cancer treatment out of pocket."I think no matter how stable it seems, it feels like there's a very real risk that you could have to work for the rest of your life, and I certainly don't want to do that," she said.Financial anxiety is higher than it was several years ago. According to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://investorrelations.discover.com/newsroom/press-releases/press-release-details/2024/Discover-Survey-Anxiety-and-Avoidance-are-Driving-the-Financial-Lives-of-Many-Americans/default.aspx">a survey from Discover</a>, 80% of Americans said they felt anxious about their finances to some degree, up from 71% in 2021.Experts, though, say oversaving could hurt Americans trying to build wealth in the long run. Extreme savers could be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-big-money-mistake-holding-cash-not-buying-stocks-investing-2024-10">losing out on big investment gains</a> over the course of years by piling up cash. They also risk lowering their quality of life, especially if saving means postponing necessary health or home expenses, Ritchie noted."It's the 78-year-old who's saved, worked hard, and done well, but he's not going to spend the money now. And that's the conversation of, 'you can't take it with you'," she said.

Americans' cost-of-living anxiety is creating a population of oversavers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Apple has been banned from selling the iPhone 16 in Indonesia.</li><li>The Indonesian government said Apple hasn't met a requirement for 40% of parts to be sourced locally.</li></ul>The Indonesian government has blocked Apple from selling its latest <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/iphone-16-review">iPhone 16</a> in the country because it does not meet local regulations.The latest iPhone, launched in September, has not passed the Southeast Asian nation's requirement that 40% of the material in smartphones and tablets sold nationally come from Indonesian producers. The policy is intended to protect domestic manufacturers and attract foreign investment.Indonesia's Ministry of Industry said in a statement on Friday that iPhone 16s cannot be imported for sale as Apple has yet to fulfill its investment commitment to obtain "local content level" certification.The ministry said 9,000 iPhone 16 products had already entered the country. It added that it would monitor the circulation of the devices and warned that if traded, the products would be classed as illegal.Apple's older products can still be sold in Indonesia, and visitors can use the iPhone 16 for personal use.Earlier this month, the Ministry of Industry said that Apple's investment of Rp1.5 trillion ($95 million) was still short of its Rp1.7 trillion commitment, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ft.com/content/698d07af-c163-4bc9-9a30-b82ca479e3e8">the FT</a> reported.Apple has already built four developer academies in Indonesia. In April, CEO Tim Cook said that the company was investigating the feasibility of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tim-cook-indonesia-production-india-china-iphone-2024-4">establishing local manufacturing facilities</a> as it diversifies production away from China.<div type="image" title="Indonesian President Joko Widodo (R) meets Apple CEO Tim Cook (2nd R) at the National Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 17, 2024." height="3518" width="4690" msid="114698217" hostid="261" sizebytes="474336"></div>With over 280 million citizens, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous nation and a growing market for Apple.The iPhone maker saw a 6% year-on-year increase in its share of the premium smartphone market in Indonesia and now makes up 40% of sales of smartphones costing more than $600, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insights/indonesia-smartphone-market-q2-2024/">Counterpoint</a>, a technology market research firm.However, overall sales in Indonesia remain low compared to global levels, meaning the ban is unlikely to significantly dent Apple's sales. Of the 235 million smartphones Apple sold globally last year, the company only sold about 3.4 million in Indonesia, the FT reported.Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment, made outside normal working hours.It comes at the start of a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-announcing-major-mac-updates-ai-rollout-earnings-week-2024-10">big week for Apple</a>, in which it reports earnings and is expected to introduce software and hardware updates, including its Apple Intelligence features.

Apple can't sell the new iPhone in the world's 4th most populous country

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple">Apple's</a> ongoing switch to USB-C charging cords has thrown off my whole charging rig.</li><li>My drawers are full of cords — but, somehow, I never have the one I need.</li></ul>The other night, I did something regrettable that has become a too-familiar experience for me: I went to bed without charging my phone. Not out of choice, not for some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/phone-free-vacations-digital-detox-summer-2024-6">zen mindful practice</a> of not keeping my phone next to my bed. It was because, at some point during the day, my phone's charging cord had been commandeered to some other outlet outside the bedroom to charge some other device.Not long ago, there was peace in my charging kingdom. I had multiple iPhone chargers in key locations (bedside, couchside, deskside, kitchen counter). A mini-USB was occasionally in the mix for Kindles or other occasional devices. Everything was compatible, convenient, and within arm's reach.But in the last year, it feels like I've descended into Charging Cord Hell. Cords are constantly being moved around from outlet to outlet, and I find myself scavenging the kitchen cord drawer for something that used to be as plentiful as an iPhone charger — and coming up empty-handed.<div type="image" title="tangled of cords in a drawer" height="1346" width="1182" msid="112385141" hostid="261" sizebytes="137954"></div>There are a few reasons for my hell.Some of them are my own fault, I'll admit. I had the idea to add a few children to my household. No one tells new parents that one of the biggest changes to their lives will be that their charging cord equilibrium will be completely thrown off. Not only do you have a bunch of new devices (baby monitors, noise machines) that take up charging space, but when they're starting to crawl around, you may find yourself with a chaos agent hellbent on pulling cords out of the wall socket. Rearrangement of your whole charging rig may be necessary.My kids have exited the baby stage, but now they have their own devices to charge. There are tablets, walkie-talkies, random electronic toys, an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/grimes-ai-toy-grok-not-related-elon-musk-grok-xai-2023-12">AI-powered talking stuffed animal voiced by Grimes</a> that uses USB-C. It is not uncommon that I have found my iPhone charger on the kitchen counter removed, and in its place, charging is a remote-controlled monster truck.<div type="image" title="monstertruck charging" height="1414" width="1142" msid="112385138" hostid="261" sizebytes="112272"></div>I take personal responsibility for this part of the problem. But it's not just me. The tech companies bear some responsibility, as well as a scapegoat we can all agree to get mad at: European Union regulators.Let's start there. In 2022, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/apple-iphone-getting-usb-c-2022-10">EU passed a regulation</a> saying that all phones, computers, and cameras must have USB-C chargers by 2025. That meant Apple, which used its Lightning charging cords for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-mac-products-great-classic-boring-2023-11">iPhones, iPads, and AirPods</a>, would have to concede and start making new USB-C-compliant devices. (The 2023 iPhone 15 was the first iPhone to use USB-C.)This means a lot of other new devices, like the off-brand Theragun knockoff I bought at T.J. Maxx, now use USB-C for charging.But everything still isn't so simple. Now, I have cords that are USB-C at one end and go into a regular USB brick. Others are USB-C at both ends and require a USB-C brick. Charging up my new fake Theragun (which I don't recommend; I don't know how much better a real Theragun is, but this knockoff didn't magically soothe my sore hip) caused a complete disruption of my bedside power strip.This is probably a familiar experience to you: having a device, a cord, and a charging brick, yet not the right combination of those three things. Perhaps you have stormed around your apartment or house, rifling through drawers and pulling out chargers from other sockets (which you'll regret later) or leaving something charging where it shouldn't be charging (which you will forget later).<div type="image" title="charging plugs" height="884" width="1178" msid="112385137" hostid="261" sizebytes="21198"></div>The other culprit is the tech companies. In 2020, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-12-launch-without-wired-earbuds-box-2020-10">iPhone 12 was the first to ship without a charging brick</a>, ostensibly to cut down on e-waste. At the time, I wasn't too mad: I was already awash in charging cords and bricks from past purchases. When I'd get a new device, I often wouldn't even bother taking the plastic seal off the new brick and just toss it in a drawer. A decade of iPhone ownership had left me with an overflowing bounty of charging bricks.But slowly and surely, over the last four years, my charging brick supply has dwindled. I imagine this is what it must've been like to live in the Midwest in the late 1800s, and see the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://blog.history.in.gov/flocks-that-darken-the-heavens-the-passenger-pigeon-in-indiana/">flocks of millions of Passenger Pigeons</a>, so massive they could darken the skies for hours, and then witness the creature go extinct within years.At some point, my husband purchased a few multi-chargers, a single brick that could handle several cords at once. One of these broke, and we still have an Anker brand multi-charger, but it does have a significant problem — it tends to slip out of the wall (according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/7/24215215/anker-prime-charger-usb-c-gan-power">The Verge, Anker is redesigning</a> its plug to solve this problem).Yes, buying new multichargers is the logical answer to my problems. Please don't email me and tell me this. I am aware this is a problem that can be solved by throwing money at it, which is, I suppose, better than a problem that can't be solved at all. But I resent having to buy these — they're not cheap! The multi-charger sitting in my Amazon cart is over $80. That's not a lot to pay for peace of mind, but it's a lot to pay for something I used to get for free.I know I'm not the only one rotting away in Cord Hell. I know there are other people out there just like me. Maybe you, even. Responsible gadget owners who haven't significantly changed how many devices we use, but suddenly find ourselves searching around for the right plug, quibbling with their partner over who has the lower battery and greater need to charge the plug next to the couch.I see you. I hear you. You are not alone. We have strength in numbers, we just don't have, uh, power.

Welcome to Charging Cord Hell. Population: you

<keyword id="21333142" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indias-population" source="keywords">India's population</keyword> is projected to peak in the early 2060s at about <keyword id="22386427" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="1-7-billion" source="keywords">1.7 billion</keyword> and then decline by 12%, but the country will remain the world's most populous throughout the century, the <keyword id="19896118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-Nations" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="United Nations" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="United Nations">United Nations</keyword> has said. The World Population Prospects 2024 report, released on Thursday, said that the world's population is expected to continue growing over the coming 50-60 years, reaching a peak of around 10.3 billion people in the mid-2080s, significantly up from 8.2 billion in 2024. After peaking, the global population is projected to start declining gradually, falling to 10.2 billion people by the end of the century. India, which surpassed <keyword id="19894886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="China" source="keywords">China</keyword> as the world's most populous nation last year, will continue to hold that position through 2100. "The population of India, which is expected to remain the world's largest throughout the century, will likely decline by 12% after reaching its peak in the early 2060s at about 1.7 billion," the <keyword id="19898339" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN" source="keywords">UN</keyword> report published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), <keyword id="271075" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="population-division" source="Orion">Population Division</keyword> said. According to the report, India's population in 2024 is projected at 1.45 billion and this will peak to 1.69 billion in 2054. After this, India's population is projected to decline to 1.5 billion by the end of the century in 2100, but the country will still remain the most populous nation on Earth. Responding to a question by PTI on population projections for India, Senior Population Affairs Officer, Population Division, <keyword id="6355835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="un" source="Orion">UN</keyword> DESA Clare Menozzi said at a press conference that "India is currently the largest country in the world in terms of population, and it is projected to stay so throughout the century. The population is currently estimated at 1.45 billion, and it's supposed to increase further to 1.69 billion. "It's supposed to peak around the 2060s in size and then it starts to slightly decline. So by the end of the century, India is projected to be around 1.5 billion, but will still the largest country in the world by a large margin." The report said that China's population, currently 1.41 billion in 2024, will fall to 1.21 billion in 2054 and further decline to 633 million by 2100. "It is anticipated that China, the country currently with the world's second-largest population, will likely experience the largest absolute population loss between 2024 and 2054 (204 million)," followed by <keyword id="6355311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Japan" source="Orion">Japan</keyword> (21 million) and <keyword id="6358826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> (10 million). "Longer-range population projections are more uncertain" for China, it said. "However, due to its large size and sustained low level of fertility, China is also likely to record the largest population decline of any country through the end of the century (786 million people). By 2100, China is projected to have lost more than a half of its current population and to have returned to a population size comparable to that recorded in the late 1950s (50% probability)." Responding to a question on the significantly low population projection for China, Director of the Population Division at UN DESA John Wilmoth said that "it really relates to the level of fertility that's observed currently in China. The current number is right around one birth per woman on average over a lifetime." "Given that you need 2.1 births to maintain the current population without migration, if fertility levels remain at such a low level, even if they come up slightly, any fertility level if it's below two, or especially below 1.8 or below 1.5, you're really getting into low levels of fertility and it produces a long run decline that's quite significant. And that's true for China. It's true for some other countries in this analysis," Wilmoth said. Currently, nearly one-fifth of all countries and areas, including China, Italy, the Republic of Korea and Spain, are experiencing what is sometimes referred to as "ultra-low" fertility, with fewer than 1.4 live births per woman over a lifetime. The report added that the global fertility rate currently stands at 2.25 live births per woman, down from 3.31 births in 1990. "More than half of all countries and areas globally have fertility below the replacement level of 2.1 live births per woman. This is the level required for a population to maintain a constant size in the long run (without migration), with each generation being followed by another of roughly equal size," it said. Pakistan is projected to overtake the US as the third-largest country in the world, with a population of 389 million in 2054. Currently, the US is the third largest country in the world with a population of 345 million and in 2054, it will be the fourth largest with 384 million people. Pakistan will remain the third largest country in the world, with a population of 511 million people in 2100. The report said that the estimated likelihood that the world's population will peak within the current century is very high, with a probability of 80%, a major change in UN projections from a decade ago, when this probability was around 30%. The size of the world's population in 2100 is now expected to be 6%smaller - or about 700 million people fewer - than anticipated a decade ago. In about 126 countries and areas, the population is likely to continue growing through 2054, potentially reaching a peak later in the century or beyond 2100. This group includes several of the world's most populous countries: India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United States of America. In 2023, the global number of deaths among children under age 5 fell below 5 million for the first time in recent history. However, 95% of such deaths took place in the 126 countries with populations that are still growing, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. The report added that globally, life expectancy at birth reached 73.3 years in 2024, an increase of 8.4 years since 1995. Further reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average longevity of around 77.4 years globally in 2054. Since 2022, life expectancy has returned to levels observed before the emergence of the coronavirus disease in nearly all countries and areas. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth fell to 70.9 years, down from 72.6 in 2019. The report said that by 2080, persons aged 65 or older will outnumber children under 18. "By the late 2070s, the number of persons at ages 65 years and higher globally is projected to reach 2.2 billion, surpassing the number of children (under age 18). By the mid-2030s, it is projected that there will be 265 million persons aged 80 years or older, more than the number of infants (1 year of age or less)," it said.

India's population to peak in early 2060s to 1.7 billion before declining: UN

Grace, a 29-year-old publicist in New York, has regularly used a slew of dating apps for more than four years, with little luck. Despite endless chatting, her matches rarely materialize into in-person dates. She's tried a paid version of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hinge-boyfriend-why-dating-is-better-offline-2023-6">Hinge</a> ($100 for three months). She's tried the members-only app Raya, but after she spent $120 a year for the past three years, it's led her to only two first dates. At this point, Grace said, the apps have left her "burned out and exhausted."In a recent Forbes survey of Americans who'd used dating apps in the past year, 78% of respondents said they felt some amount of burnout. A growing number of younger people are rejecting dating and sex altogether. Among millions, a consensus is forming: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/forever-alone-staying-single-done-with-dating-apps-2023-7">Dating apps suck</a> so bad that they might even be deliberately keeping us from finding love.Theories abound on what's behind the frustrating, sorry state of apps. Some point to how, as a way to compensate for stagnating user bases, many apps are increasingly becoming pay to play. Last fall, Tinder rolled out a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-tinder-select-the-499-monthly-subscription-2023-12">$500 monthly subscription</a>, in addition to two cheaper membership tiers. The League charges up to $1,000 a week or $2,500 a month. Hinge charges users for "roses" to send to their "standouts," which are trapped behind a paywall that critics have dubbed "rose jail." These days, "it's really a lot harder to be functional if you're not on some level of a paid membership," Damona Hoffman, a dating coach, said. While apps like Hinge insist they're "designed to be deleted," finding a partner on them increasingly seems reserved only for those who can afford it.Some point to a fundamental misalignment between dating-app companies and their customers: The more successful the product is for the user, the worse it is for the bottom line. "They don't actually want you to be successful because that means they're losing a customer," said Bianca Stelian, a digital strategist who posted <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-apps-deleted-hinge-raya-tinder-bumble-oversaturated-bad-matches-2024-1">a viral TikTok</a> positing her own theories about dating-app burnout. Others argue that the apps are intentionally gamified and addictive. The average American dating-app user spends <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/health/dating/dating-app-fatigue/">51 minutes a day</a> swiping, more than double the time the average American spends exercising. Ryan Clarkson, a lawyer who recently brought a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Tinder and Hinge users, compared dating apps maximizing user engagement and "trapping users in a perpetual pay-to-play loop" to pharmaceutical companies selling addictive drugs to vulnerable patients. Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, called Clarkson's lawsuit "ridiculous" and insisted that its business strategy didn't rely on advertising or engagement metrics.Still, others blame the problem on the near monopoly a handful of companies — namely Match Group (which owns 45 dating brands worldwide) and Bumble — have on the market, which has led to years of complacency. "They've just been the same for so long," Ali Jackson, a New York City dating coach, said. "Somebody needs to do something drastically different."So here's one idea: What if your local government played matchmaker?Before you barf at the thought of your mayor setting you up on your next date, hear me out: The more expensive dating becomes, the less equitable it becomes. Meanwhile, the US government is increasingly recognizing social connection as a key element of public health, and increasingly investing in ways to combat our "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/there-is-no-loneliness-epidemic-mental-health-2024-4">loneliness epidemic</a>." If romantic relationships are so important both for the individual and for society, it's not a stretch to consider them a public good worth investing in.Some countries, including Japan and Australia, already do and have been experimenting with government-subsidized and even government-run alternatives to traditional, commercial dating apps. While these projects are still in their early days, they raise a once unthinkable, now compelling question for America: Could the government bring some much-needed innovation to dating?For years, several East Asian countries have desperately sought to reverse their plummeting birth rates. They've rolled out subsidies for parents, salary increases for younger workers, and other family-friendly policies. Increasingly, they see the dating industry as a lever to pull.The Japanese federal government's Children and Families Agency, for example, has set up marriage support centers in most of the country's 47 prefectures, providing services like dating coaches, in-person mixers, and at least one mixer in the metaverse. A center in Saitama prefecture (population 7.3 million) reported that since its center opened in October 2018, 12,517 couples had begun dating through the service and 472 couples had gotten married.In Tokyo, the city government is even releasing its own dating app, part of a campaign called Tokyo Futari Story ("futari" means couple). The service, which the city has budgeted several million dollars to develop and promote, will require users to verify their income, prove they're unmarried, sit for an interview with the app's staff, and sign a statement saying they're intent on getting married. Some experts are cautiously optimistic about the government playing cupid. Bouke de Vries, an associate professor of philosophy at Ghent University in Belgium who's studied dating apps, argues that state-run dating apps are at least in theory better positioned to help people find partners without spending too much money or time in the process. Many for-profit dating services are "gratuitously prolonging" users' search for love, he said. "The interests of governments are much better aligned with those of love-seeking users than those of private companies and love-seeking users," de Vries said.Others say these projects will do little to change entrenched attitudes. Omar Minami, a former Tinder employee in Japan and cofounder of a Japanese dating app, said that low marriage and birth rates are the result of much-deeper economic and cultural issues, including the gender wage gap, intense work culture, and huge expenses of raising kids. Government-funded dating apps are a "shiny object" and short-term solution, he added."It will take decades of work in order to change the mindset of Japanese people in regards to marriage," he said. "Unfortunately, government officials are only looking for investments that will pay off in their lifetime."On the other hand, governments can be given so much power to play matchmaker they damage all of society. In the 1980s, Singapore pursued a racist, eugenics-based policy by offering discounted dating services exclusively to college-educated citizens, who were disproportionately ethnically Chinese, excluding members of marginalized minorities. The government also funded voluntary sterilization for lower-income parents.Other countries, however, have stepped in to make dating less dangerous for its most vulnerable citizens. People with disabilities in Australia can now use the cash benefits they get from the country's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ndis.gov.au/">National Disability Insurance Scheme</a> to pay for a dating app designed for people with disabilities, called the Cliq Connection. Cheryl Drury, the app's founder, said many of her customers previously had trouble dating, fell prey to scams, or were sexually assaulted. "They're just being eaten up on mainstream dating apps because they're just so vulnerable through physical assault as well as scams," she said. But she doubts the government will offer direct support for her services anytime soon, given the persistent "taboo" surrounding sexuality, relationships, and disability.A more realistic model for America may be a public-private partnership model. Last year, Japan's most popular dating app, the Match Group-owned Pairs, began collaborating with several prefectures and cities. The governments have employed researchers to devise questionnaires for users and have hosted dating seminars and other events, and they're covering the costs of their constituents' memberships to the app. The company, which isn't taking direct government funding, says it hopes these partnerships will help alleviate the "worsening population decline in rural areas and the resulting low birth rate and unmarried population."Francesca Katayama met her husband on Pairs in Tokyo in 2021 (they now have 2-year-old twins). The 31-year-old said she's in favor of more government support for dating — especially for an app like Pairs, which has already catered to people seeking committed relationships — but blames the country's high cost of living and intense work culture for low marriage and birth rates.Junko Yamada, a psychology professor at Rissho University who has worked with Pairs, thinks governments have a key role to play in breaking down barriers in the world of romance. "Although romantic relationships are often perceived as an individual problem," Yamada said, "the problem is actually largely due to social structures." She blamed a decline in dating on workplace sexual harassment, an insular social scene, and concerns about safety and security. Yamada said that government-subsidized dating services could appeal particularly to those who are skeptical of private-sector apps by offering extra security and ensuring users are serious about finding romantic connection.But could any of this happen in America? As of today, an engineer hoping to build the next OKCupid from inside the Department of Health and Human Services would face some steep hurdles.For one thing, there's a lack of bipartisan support. Beyond defending reproductive rights, liberals and progressives have largely shied away from promoting courtship and family creation. Meanwhile, small-government conservatives are unlikely to pass a Make America Date Again bill. Although! Conservatives have long been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-baby-bust-panic-wont-support-pro-family-policies-2021-4">fixated on boosting the birth rate</a>, and Elon Musk, who is now donating $45 million a month to a Trump super PAC and has long warned against "population collapse," trumpeted the announcement of Tokyo's dating app. "I'm glad the Japanese government recognizes the importance of this matter. If radical action isn't taken, Japan (and many other countries) will disappear!" he wrote on X.But perhaps a bigger impediment than political will is cultural taboo. "There's something almost salacious about finding love and dating," said Justin Garcia, a sex researcher and professor of gender studies at Indiana University. If society viewed sex and relationships as a health issue, there would already be government funding to study it and independent commissions to address it, he added. But Garcia, who runs the university's sexual-behavior research center, Kinsey Institute, has found it nearly impossible to get the government to fund research related to sex and romance unless it's specific to a very particular, marginalized group, like those suffering from epilepsy or Alzheimer's.Instead, academics have to partner with industry or philanthropic organizations. Garcia serves as a scientific advisor to Match Group, which funds some of his research. Meanwhile, his work is under attack by Republican lawmakers, who last year ended state funding for the Kinsey Institute, prompting the university's board of trustees to consider turning it into an independent nonprofit.To Garcia, funding research on romantic and sexual relationships is a no-brainer. "These are some of the most important relationships in our lives," he said. "They impact our psychological health. They impact our physical health. They impact our financial and economic prospects. They impact our family dynamics and future generations."When it comes to dating apps, he supports rigorous research on what's working and what's not. He sees a role for the government, though, he said, there's a vaguely ominous threat of the government intervening in people's personal lives. "We don't want government telling us who we should partner with, and how to partner, and when to partner, but rather giving people more resources to have successful relationships," he said.No American government has yet helped its constituents date. But it might not be hard to imagine a local official like Mayor Eric Adams of New York City — who once spun his outdoor-dining policy as a way to promote flirting — getting behind a state-supported dating service. One could hear him announcing at a press conference: "We are extremely proud to introduce a new dating experience from America's mayor, called Adams &amp; Eve."<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/eliza-relman">Eliza Relman</a> is a policy correspondent focused on housing, transportation, and infrastructure on Insider's economy team.

Japan's one weird trick to reverse population collapse

The <keyword id="22366986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="doctor-population-ratio" source="keywords">doctor-population ratio</keyword> in the country is 1:836, which is better than the <keyword id="20522854" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO-standard" source="keywords">WHO standard</keyword> of 1:1000, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel told the Lok Sabha on Friday. According to the information provided by the <keyword id="20039511" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-Medical-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Medical Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Medical Commission">National Medical Commission</keyword> (NMC), there are 13,86,136 <keyword id="20522855" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="allopathic-doctors" source="keywords">allopathic doctors</keyword> registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on July, 2024, Patel said in a written reply. "Assuming 80% availability of registered allopathic doctors and around 5.65 lakh <keyword id="20522856" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AYUSH-doctors" source="keywords">AYUSH doctors</keyword>, the doctor-population ratio in the country is around 1:836 which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000," Patel stated. She also said that there are 731 medical colleges in the country with an annual intake of 1,12,112 <keyword id="20585495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MBBS-seats" source="keywords">MBBS seats</keyword> as of now. Further, there are 72,627 <keyword id="22645227" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PG-seats" source="keywords">PG seats</keyword> as of date, she said. Measures taken by the government to augment medical education facilities and to improve medical standards include <keyword id="22366985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Centrally-Sponsored-Scheme" source="keywords">Centrally Sponsored Scheme</keyword> (CSS) for establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals, under which 157 new medical colleges have been approved and 109 are already functional. Under the CSS, medical colleges have been upgraded to increase the number of MBBS (UG) and PG seats. Support has been provided for an increase of 4,977 MBBS seats in 83 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 5,972.20 crore, 4,058 PG seats in phase-I in 72 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 1,498.43 crore and 4,000 PG seats in phase-II in 65 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 4,478.25 crore. Besides, under "upgradation of government medical colleges by construction of super specialty blocks" component of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 75 projects have been approved, of which 66 projects are complete. Under the Central Sector Scheme for setting up of new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved and undergraduate courses have started in 19 of these. Also, DNB qualification has been recognised for appointment as teaching faculty, to take care of shortage of faculty and there has been enhancement of age limit for appointment, extension or re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges up to 70 years. <h2>Claims of Indians being unfit "extrapolated" </h2>Furthermore, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Lok Sabha today that WHO's recent report stating that half of India's adult population is physically unfit relied on data collected only from three states and one UT, and the results were extrapolated through a modelling technique indicating inbuilt methodological issues. Responding to a question, Nadda said the WHO defines 'sufficient physical activity' as 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activities per week (brisk walk, lifting light load etc.) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week (running, digging, construction work, outdoor games etc.). The activity level so quantified is based on a self-reported response to questions about physical activity lasting at least for 10 minutes. The National NCD Monitoring Survey of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 2020 has assessed, inter alia, physical activity amongst Indian adults and found that 58.7% had conformed to the WHO recommendations, Nadda told the Lok Sabha.

Doctor-population ratio in India better than WHO standard, says Govt

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's population shrinkage is having a big effect on its economy.</li><li>Marriage rates have halved over the last decade, with only 3.4 million couples marrying in the first half.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-china-population-falling-economy-deflation-evergrande-xi-jinping-2024-1">China's population has been shrinking</a> for the past two years, and the trend appears having a big impact on its economy, according to government data spanning the first half of 2024.Chinese consumers are pulling back on spending, a possible consequence of an aging population saving up for retirement, according to a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://rhg.com/research/no-quick-fixes-chinas-long-term-consumption-growth/">report</a> from the research firm Rhodium Group. Household savings have been rising over the last 11 years, the firm said, around the time China's working-age population peaked. Meanwhile, retail sales in the nation grew just 2% in June, well below the nation's pre-pandemic trend of 8% retail sales growth.Romance seems to be another victim of a shrinking population. Marriage rates continue to tumble, with 3.4 million couples tying the knot from January through June of this year. That's half the number of couples who got married in the same timeframe a decade ago, according to data from China's Ministry of Civil Affairs.Spending on romance looks to be particularly anemic. Diamond imports to China have slumped 28% over the first half of the year compared to the first half of 2023.Jewellers appear to be selling down their existing inventory of diamonds rather than placing new orders, De Beers, the world's largest diamond producer, said in a note."In China, the ongoing economic challenges, particularly within the property market and low consumer confidence, have delayed the expected recovery from the sharp decline in 2023," the miner said of its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.debeersgroup.com/media/company-news/2024/interim-financial-results-for-2024">financial results</a> so far this year. "Although demand in the US has been steady and India remains robust, consumers in China are buying substantially fewer luxury products. Retailers are very cautious as they restock, creating higher than normal levels of midstream inventory."Waning sales and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-aging-population-demographics-america-finance-markets-beijing-xi-2023-8">lower growth</a> stemming from an aging population could be a reason investment in the country has stalled. Foreign direct investment in China dropped $15 billion over the last quarter, the <a target="_blank" href="http://m.safe.gov.cn/safe/2023/1103/23426.html">second-biggest investment drop</a> in the last quarter century, according to government data.China's population, which is about 1.4 billion, declined for the second year in a row in 2023, with the nation losing over 2 million people as the death rate surpassed the birth rate. Its total population could halve by the end of the century, the <a target="_blank" href="https://population.un.org/wpp/">United Nations</a> projected in its latest World Population Prospects report, predicting that the nation could have just 770 million people in it by 2100.

China's population decline is having a big impact as marriages, diamond sales, and retail spending drop

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Private jet travel has surged in recent years, and two big changes explain why.</li><li>The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many to opt for private planes.</li></ul>Flying private has gotten a lot more popular over the last several years.The number of miles flown by private jets soared 53% between 2019 and 2023, while the number of private aircraft rose by 28%, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=bb670b62fe8601c53f0889bedb04ce80a89285ec5116fc9bfce8af0b92d7edbd&amp;postID=672e281e1153528a7c5476e4&amp;postSlug=private-jets-soaring-popularity-pandemic-costing-taxpayers-environment-2024-11&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs43247-024-01775-z%3Futm_campaign%3Dheatmap_am%26utm_medium%3Demail%26_hsenc%3Dp2ANqtz--vq6RgIU87OiaVJyWfQp3iftvp2MS7Dkc9PJqq0pmWvFSj6lVdf4st7myisjTFMgJFzXJTcDWFXZOM6BTtLE3b3ycu2NAARlpnMBLHahNAHpjJ1hM%26_hsmi%3D332998403%26utm_content%3D332998403%26utm_source%3Dhs_email">a major new study</a> published in Nature.Two big factors led to that spike in private flights: The pandemic and a spate of more affordable options for flying private.When the pandemic hit in 2020, both commercial and private flights ground to a near-halt. But soon, private jet travel surged even as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://fortune.com/2024/04/29/business-travel-trends-pre-pandemic-levels-zoom-era-corporate-flights/">commercial flying remained depressed</a>.While <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/full-year-2021-and-december-2021-us-airline-traffic-data#:~:text=U.S.%20airlines%20carried%20674%20million,2019's%20927%20million%20(unadjusted)">commercial airline ridership</a> was down 27% in the US between 2019 and 2021, over the same period, business jet flights were up from about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://aspm.faa.gov/apmd/sys/bjpdf/b-jet-202410.pdf">3.8 million to about 4.4 million</a>. Many of those who could afford to avoid cramped commercial airline cabins — and the extra exposure to the virus that comes with that — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/new-jet-set-how-covid-driven-boom-private-jets-is-still-flying-high-2022-05-02/">opted to charter or purchase a private plane</a>.Meanwhile, fractional ownership of private planes, fly-share services, subscriptions to private jet companies, and other on-demand private flying options have also grown <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.avbuyer.com/articles/business-aviation-market-analysis/new-jet-deliveries-to-fractional-programs-increases-113837#:~:text=Winding%20back%20the%20clock%2010%20years%20to,in%202023%20it's%20already%20risen%20to%2016.8%.">much more popular</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/all-the-ways-to-fly-private-starting-at-dollar100-per-flight">made private flying more accessible and affordable</a>.New services have made it possible to find and book private flights from a smartphone. While purchasing a private plane costs millions of dollars, on-demand private flying through newer services like Blade can charge <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.blade.com/price-new-york-miami">as little as $1,700</a> to jet <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blade-one-private-jet-seat-new-york-miami-photos-review-2022-12">from New York City to Miami</a>. That's not much more than the <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=2ed5c9bdb1346b6ac93979e86ed8f5005d86da32ff8ca9e12d99f23c589a9394&amp;postID=672e281e1153528a7c5476e4&amp;postSlug=private-jets-soaring-popularity-pandemic-costing-taxpayers-environment-2024-11&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.momondo.com%2Fflights%2FFirst-Class-United-States-US0%2FMiami-MIA.fc.ksp%23%3A~%3Atext%3D%24981%2520is%2520the%2520average%2520price%2CAmerican%2520Airlines%2520flights%2520to%2520Miami%3F">nearly $1,000 price tag</a> of a typical first-class commercial ticket between those two cities.In the years since the COVID-19 outbreak, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/affordable-luxury-air-travel-on-the-rise-private-jets-2024-6">industry experts say</a> customers have a higher budget for travel and are more willing to spend big to make it luxurious. These days, those who fly private say time savings and convenience are the biggest reasons, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://privatejetcardcomparisons.com/2024/10/14/the-top-reasons-for-choosing-private-jets-over-airline-flights/">a recent survey</a> of private fliers found.Private jet usage peaked in 2022 and dipped slightly last year. But private travel was still <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://privatejetcardcomparisons.com/2024/03/25/2023-private-jet-flight-hours-dip-3-7-2007-to-2023-by-year-recap/">17% higher in 2023</a> than it was in 2019. This year, demand for private air travel <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/16/private-jet-flights-covid-era-demand-wanes.html">has fallen a bit more</a> as costs have risen. The industry expects the number of private aircraft will <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://aerospace.honeywell.com/content/dam/aerobt/en/documents/landing-pages/brochures/2023_BusinessAviationReport.pdf">grow by almost a third</a> by 2033.The uptick in flights has led to soaring carbon emissions from private jets. The Nature study found that climate-heating emissions rose 46% between 2019 and 2023.Private jets emit up to 14 times more climate-warming pollution per passenger than commercial planes, according to a report by the NGO Transport &amp; Environment <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/private-jets-can-the-super-rich-supercharge-zero-emission-aviation/">in 2021</a>, largely because of smaller passenger loads and shorter flights.The US is the biggest global hub of private aviation. While the US is home to about 4% of the world's population, the Nature study noted that about 69% of private jets are registered here.US taxpayers are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ultra-wealthy-private-flyers-are-costing-average-flyers-a-lot-in-taxes-2023-5#:~:text=Private%20jet%20travel%20has%20surged,Policy%20Studies%20and%20Patriotic%20Millionaires.">heavily subsidizing private jet travel</a>. Private jet travelers pay just two percent of the taxes used to fund the Federal Aviation Administration, despite making up one in six flights handled by the FAA's air-traffic controllers, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://ips-dc.org/report-high-flyers-2023">according to a report published in May 2023</a> by the Institute for Policy Studies and Patriotic Millionaires. Private jets also use almost 3,000 of the country's smaller airports that aren't used by any commercial airlines, but are funded in part by the FAA, the 2023 report found.

Private jet usage is way up for 2 reasons

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sen. JD Vance of Ohio gave his high-profile VP acceptance speech on Wednesday night at the RNC.</li><li>Donald Trump made Vance his VP pick, anointing a MAGA heir apparent. </li></ul>Sen. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-vice-president-jd-vance-career-facts-2024-7">JD Vance</a> of Ohio on Wednesday railed against decades of American policy in his major national moment as the Republican vice presidential nominee.Like former President Donald Trump, Vance underlined a populist Republican Party to the point that he came out to a Merle Haggard hit that was written in protest of the war in Iraq."From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the great recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again," Vance said. "That is, of course, until a guy named Donald J. Trump came along."It was, of course, President George W. Bush, a Republican, who championed the Iraq War. Vance also tore into NAFTA, a bipartisan trade deal negotiated by GOP President George H.W. Bush and finished by Democratic President Bill Clinton. Clinton passed NAFTA with major Republican support.Vance returned to the theme that "America's ruling class" ruined hometowns like where he grew up in Middletown, Ohio.He leaned into his backstory, which he recounted at length in "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-convinced-himself-gay-hillbilly-elegy-trump-vp-2024-7">Hillbilly Elegy</a>," a book that went on top bestseller lists and was later adapted into a Netflix movie."To people of the Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and in every corner of our nation, I promise you this: I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from," Vance said.The Trump campaign hopes that this background will help their ticket appeal to working-class voters in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. But in the one race Vance has run thus far, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-rust-belt-appeal-ohio-gop-trump-senate-ryan-2024-7">he ran far behind other Republicans</a>. He struggled in suburban areas, an especially troubling fact given Trump's lengthy struggles in similar places.Vance repeatedly called out those three states throughout his speech, underlining the Trump campaign's focus on what were once the so-called "Blue Wall states." Biden's likely best path to reelection requires him to sweep the three states.Biden's campaign said "working families" would suffer if Vance is elected."JD Vance is unprepared, unqualified, and willing to do anything Donald Trump demands," Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler said in a statement.If Republicans win this November, Vance would be one of the youngest vice presidents in the nation's history. Vance has a strikingly short political résumé. He has served in the US Senate for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-18-month-senate-career-record-vice-president-2024-7">all of 18 months.</a> Before politics, he worked in the private sector and served in the Marine Corps.Vance emphasized his age during his speech, contrasting a moment in his life with a decision President Joe Biden supported."When I was in the fourth grade, a career politician by the name of Joe Biden supported NAFTA, a bad trade deal that sent countless good jobs to Mexico," Vance said.In selecting Vance, Trump eschewed the traditional considerations in finding a running mate. Instead, the former president elevated a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-trump-selected-jd-dance-running-mate-vice-president-2024-7">MAGA heir apparent.</a>Vance was not always a staunch Trump supporter. President Joe Biden's campaign and other Democrats have happily unearthed Vance's repeated criticism of Trump when the Ohioian was a self-described Never-Trumper. Vance skipped over this history head-on during his address.Instead, he talked up his running mate, calling him "America's best last hope" to restore what Vance views as lost in modern America. It's a remarkable transition, given that during Trump's 2016 run, he called the future president "cultural heroin.""He makes some feel better for a bit," Vance wrote in The Atlantic in 2017. "But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they'll realize it."On Wednesday, Vance repeated almost verbatim one of Trump's refrains about how he didn't need to take on the abuse of going into politics."He chose to endure abuse, slander, and persecution, and he did it because he loves this country," Vance said.Left unmentioned and unexplored is how Trump's running mate once uttered some of those criticisms.

JD Vance leans head first into Trump populism in his first major moment

A deadly heat wave gripped large regions of Asia for weeks in April and May 2024. As temperatures climbed past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) in India on May 7, campaigning politicians, local news announcers and voters waiting in long lines passed out from the oppressive heat. From as far north as Japan to as far south as the Philippines, the relentless heat wreaked havoc on everyday life. Students and teachers in Cambodia were sent home from school, as their hand-held fans provided little protection against the stifling heat and humidity in their poorly ventilated classrooms. Farmers in Thailand saw their crops wither and mourned the loss of livestock that perished under the punishing sun. Hundreds of people died from the heat. Most of the planet has suffered the dire effects of <keyword id="20563038" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="extreme-heat" source="keywords">extreme heat</keyword> in recent years. A weekslong heat wave in the southwestern United States in 2023 was described as "hell on earth" in Phoenix, where temperatures hit 110 F (43.3 C) or higher for 31 straight days. At the same time, Europe saw unprecedented high temperatures that killed hundreds and contributed to devastating wildfires in Greece. Regardless of where or when a heat wave strikes, one pattern is a constant: Older adults are the most likely to die from extreme heat, and this crisis will worsen in the coming years. We study <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword> and population aging. Our research documents two global trends that together portend a dire future. More older adults will be at risk of heat stress First, temperatures are hotter than ever. The nine-year period from 2015 and 2023 had the highest average temperatures since global records began in 1880. Second, the population is aging worldwide. By 2050, the number of people ages 60 and older will double to nearly 2.1 billion, making up 21 per cent of the <keyword id="21055680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-population" source="keywords">global population</keyword>. That proportion is 13 per cent today. These combined forces mean that ever-rising numbers of vulnerable older adults will be exposed to intensifying heat. To understand the risks ahead, we developed population projections for different age groups and combined them with climate change scenarios for the coming decades. Our analyses show that by 2050, more than 23 per cent of the world population ages 69 and older will be living in regions where peak temperatures routinely surpass 99.5 degrees F (37.5 degrees C), compared with just 14 per cent today. That means that as many as 250 million additional older adults will be exposed to dangerously high temperatures. Mapping the data shows that most of these older adults live in lower- and middle-income countries with insufficient services and limited access to electricity, cooling appliances and safe water. In historically cooler regions in the Global North, including North America and Europe, <keyword id="20707229" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rising-temperatures" source="keywords">rising temperatures</keyword> will be the main force driving older adults' heat exposure. In historically hotter regions in the Global South such as Asia, Africa and South America, population growth and increases in longevity mean that steeply rising numbers of older adults will be exposed to intensifying heat-related risks. Policymakers, communities, families and older residents themselves need to understand these risks and be prepared because of older adults' special vulnerabilities to heat. Extreme heat is especially harmful to older adults High temperatures are oppressive for everyone, but for older adults they can be deadly. Extreme heat worsens common age-related health conditions such as heart, lung and kidney disease and can cause delirium. Older people don't sweat as much as younger people, which makes it harder for their bodies to cool down when temperatures spike. These problems are intensified by common prescription medications, such as anticholinergics, which further reduce the capacity to sweat. Spending time outdoors in hot humid weather can cause dehydration, a problem worsened by the side effects of prescription medications such as diuretics and beta-blockers. Dehydration can make older adults weak and dizzy, increasing their risk of falls and injury. These threats are even worse in regions lacking access to safe and affordable drinking water. Poor air quality makes it difficult to breath, especially for those who already have lung problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. For older adults with physical health problems, temperatures as low as 80 F (26.7 C) can pose significant danger. And when humidity is as high as 90 per cent, even 78 F (25.6 C) can be hazardous to older adults. Nighttime heat is especially harmful for older adults whose homes lack air conditioning or who can't afford to run their air conditioners for long periods. The ideal temperature for older adults' restful sleep is between 68 and 77 F (20 and 25 C), and sleep quality diminishes as temperatures rise. A night of restless sleep can make an older adult more depressed and confused during their waking hours. Medications also can lose their effectiveness if stored in places much warmer than 77 F (25 C). Older adults also may suffer emotionally during stifling <keyword id="20472420" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heat-waves" source="keywords">heat waves</keyword> Being stuck indoors when temperatures are unbearable can make older adults bored, depressed and isolated. People with cognitive impairments may underestimate the dangers of extreme heat or may not understand the heat advisories. Those who have physical mobility limitations or lack access to transportation can't easily travel to public cooling centers - if there is one nearby - or find relief in nearby "green and blue areas," such as parks and lakes. These threats are especially dire in low- and middle-income nations, where older adults are more likely to live in substandard housing and lack access to high-quality health care or ways to cool down in the heat. We talk about this as "systemic cooling poverty." What can be done? Policymakers can work to cut greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and factories, which drive global warming, and develop effective plans to protect older people from heat risk. Older adults and their caregivers also can take steps to adapt. But efforts to help need to be tailored to each region and population. Wealthy municipalities can increase public investments in early warning systems and ride services to cooling centers and hospitals. They can use geographic information systems to identify neighborhoods with high concentrations of older adults and expand power grids to manage increasing demand for air conditioning. In regions with substandard housing, limited access to clean water and few public supports such as cooling centers, much larger changes are necessary. Providing better health care, water and housing and reducing air pollution that can mitigate health problems during heat waves require significant changes and investments many countries struggle to afford. The World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization warn that this decade will be critical for preparing communities to handle rising heat and the risk to aging populations. Across all regions, researchers, practitioners and policymakers could save lives by heeding their call. 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Heat waves can be deadly for older adults: An aging global population and rising temperatures mean millions are at risk

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Boomers who once flocked to Florida are increasingly ditching the state for southern Appalachia.</li><li>A recent Wall Street Journal report highlighted the so-called "halfbacks" who have settled in the region.</li></ul>For decades, Florida has remained a top destination for retirees looking to settle down roots as they enjoy their golden years.But despite the Sunshine State's warm weather and lack of an individual income tax, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-boomer-gen-z-millennials-economy-housing-job-market-stocks-2024-2">a wave of more affluent baby boomers</a> is ditching the state for a newer destination: southern Appalachia.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/story/an-influx-of-boomers-is-putting-a-strain-on-southern-appalachia-bf7d0c4b">The Wall Street Journal recently reported</a> that many so-called "halfbacks" — or boomers who moved from the Northeast and Midwest to Florida before settling in environs midway — are starting to populate once-heavily rural counties in areas that include Southwest Virginia, North Georgia, parts of both North Carolina and South Carolina, and portions of Alabama and Tennessee.Many boomers moving into southern Appalachia have also bypassed Florida altogether.The population in southern Appalachian counties that have retirement or recreational areas grew by 3.8% from April 2020 to July 2022 — a rate significantly higher than the national average — according to The Journal.The changes have brought forth a sort of whiplash. Counties once defined by miles of countryside now see sustained development — newly-sprouted retirement communities featuring upscale amenities.Big-box stores, more commonplace in larger cities and suburbs, have also crept further into southern Appalachia, where local downtowns have long been the economic engines of many towns and small cities. And with newer residents comes a growing demand for government services and additional housing and roads.The growth coincides with Georgia's increased prominence on the national political stage, as it will once again be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/battleground-states-2024-presidential-election-road-white-house-2022-12">one of the most hotly-contested states</a> in the 2024 presidential election.In Dawson County, Georgia, where the county seat of Dawsonville is about 60 miles north of Atlanta, the population has swelled in recent years — from about 27,000 people in 2020 to about 32,000 people in 2023, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/dawsoncountygeorgia/PST045223">according to US Census data</a>.In southern Appalachian counties defined as recreational and retirement locales, incomes rose by an average of $10,095 from 2018 to 2021, according to The Journal.Ed Helms, who is retired, and his wife, Johnnie, moved to a gated North Georgia community that partially sits in both Dawson and Pickens counties after living in Panama City Beach, Florida.The couple sought to leave Florida due to the threat of hurricanes, increased traffic congestion, and elevated costs, The Journal reported. And while Ed Helms has encountered new development in North Georgia, he told the newspaper that it still pales in comparison with the sort of growth that he witnessed in Florida."Our property insurance was going sky high," he said of Florida living. "We got tired of being unable to find a place to sit in restaurants.""We wouldn't go back for anything," he added.But some new residents fear Dawson County will simply become a northern outpost of the vast Atlanta metropolitan region, known for its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/suburbs-millennials-walkable-towns-cities-housing-affordability-loneliness-2024-2">suburban sprawl</a>.Billy Thurmond, a county native and the chairman of the Dawson County Board of Commissioners, told The Journal that some recent arrivals now stop him to express their frustration over the sustained development."People who have moved here now want us to put up a gate and stop anybody else from moving here," he told the newspaper. "It doesn't work that way."

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