One of the more striking trends across the developed world in recent decades is the demographic transition. As economies develop, and women in particular enter the workforce, people have fewer children. It's resulted in a situation in many western nations where the birth rate is insufficient to sustain the population.
Monitoring changes in demographics can provide some interesting insights into the overall health of a society. A recent study by the University of Notre Dame, for instance, suggests that there is a clear link between fertility rates and economic health. It found that people seemed to stop conceiving babies months before economies officially tipped into recession.
