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Birth rates in many countries are to alarmingly low levels. Politicians in Japan and South Korea are questions about the future economic viability of their countries. A recent conference in Italy has the country's looming demographic crisis. Italy one of the lowest birth rates in the world. The government is of considerable strains on pensions and the welfare system as Italy's population rapidly . The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has that having children is more unaffordable for many couples. He that starting a family in Italy is now a "titanic effort" that only the rich and wealthy can .

Pope Francis Italians to have more children, even amid rising prices. He young couples for making "selfish, egotistical" choices that are in record low birth rates. He said this is Italy's economic future. He the situation a "demographic winter". Italy a record low number of births last year of 392,000, which with an elevated number of deaths - 713,000. The Pope couples to have babies instead of pets. He a woman who asked him to bless her "baby," which was actually a dog. The BBC wrote that Italy is often "the country of empty cribs". It quoted Elon Musk as tweeting that: "Italy is disappearing."