Falling fertility fuels demand

The declining fertility in Western and Asian countries put overseas student recruitment atop the productivity agenda due to the increasing demand on skilled workers and students to meet urgent workforce demand. According to migration expert Hawthorne, as Australia squeezed the independent skilled migration class used by overseas students, declining fertility was fuelling international competition for skilled migrants. The University of Melbourne's associate dean claims that OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] countries are at risk of contracting by a third, with severe productivity implications. She said most OECD countries had fertility rates below replacement level. Countries with traditionally high birth rates, such as Mexico, were contracting, while others are falling to a dangerous level. This fertility revolution was being replicated across Asia, where overall population growth was in rapid decline. As a result, many countries are found to expand their export education and introduce new or revised migration policies.