Elon Musk worries about China's birth rate and offers a sincere suggestion. Why is he so concerned?
In early 2026, Elon Musk shared a post about the continuously declining birth rate in China, adding: "The top priority of any country is to restore its birth rate." This simple statement has attracted considerable attention—why is an American entrepreneur so concerned about China's population issues?
Musk has always believed that changes in population structure directly affect economic vitality, innovation potential, and even the global industrial chain landscape. As the leader of multinational companies such as Tesla and SpaceX, his business empire heavily relies on the global market, especially China, one of the world's largest new energy vehicle markets. In 2025, the annual production capacity of Tesla's Shanghai Super Factory exceeded 1 million vehicles. China is not only a production base but also a key consumer market. If the younger population in China continues to decline in the future, the main car-buying group will shrink, which would be a long-term risk signal for companies like Tesla.
Musk has always shown strong concern for the survival of human civilization. He has repeatedly emphasized that low birth rates are a more fundamental threat than climate change or energy crises. In his view, population is not a burden, but a source of innovation and progress. He once openly stated: "Without enough children, human civilization may face stagnation or even decline." Although this view carries a technological utopian color, it is not without basis. Japan is a real case: over the past three decades, Japan has suffered from weak domestic demand, labor shortages, and hollowed-out local economies due to a declining birth rate and aging population. Even with massive investments to encourage childbirth, the results have been limited.
Entrepreneurs deeply embedded in the global supply chain naturally remain highly sensitive to these issues. Musk himself is vigorously promoting AI and robotics technology. Perhaps in his view, technology can alleviate labor shortages, but it cannot replace the significance of human reproduction in terms of the continuation of civilization. What he is concerned about is not just China's birth rate, but whether the entire human society can maintain sufficient vitality and hope in the era of low birth rates.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1854817239039004/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.