Many couples in places like Hong Kong now prefer pets over children. High housing costs, fear of intense school competition, and challenges balancing work and family discourage having more babies. Improved healthcare has lowered child mortality, so large families are less needed. This shift changes population shapes from pyramids to inverted pyramids, with many elderly and fewer young people. While some worry about nations shrinking, experts say countries like China and India will remain powerful even with smaller populations. The global population, now 8.2 billion, may level off near 10 billion, which can harm the environment. Unlike animals, humans can choose to have children or not due to birth control. Experts advise governments to focus on balancing public finances amid aging populations. The article's author values children highly but respects individual choice, saying, "I have four children (readers can do the maths)."