1/ Global population growth hits lowest rate since 1950: grew by less than 1% a year for 1st time since the aftermath of 2nd world war in 2020 & 2021 with Europe’s total population actually falling during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a UN report. ft.com/content/6b131d… 2/ Despite slowing growth, global population still poised this year to reach milestone of 8bn people; next year India is projected to surpass China as most populous.
World population expected to peak in 2080s at 10.4bn & begin to fall — 1st decline forecast in annual UN report.

1/ Following Eastern enlargement of EU in 2004, which extended the common European labour market to include roughly 100 million individuals from accession countries, Norway experienced a large wave of immigration. voxeu.org/article/reduce… 2/ With real wages among the highest in Europe, and unemployment among the lowest, Norway became a popular destination for labour migrants. Norway is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and therefore part of the EU single market.

Late 19th-century decline in UK agricultural prices shrank the incomes of aristocrats. To carry on the tradition of raising money through auspicious marriages, British aristocrats looked to US heiresses with large dowries but no pedigrees. voxeu.org/article/downto… 2/ In the four decades before the outbreak of WWI, 100 daughters of US business magnates married titled members of the British aristocracy.
Calculated another way: “Between 1870 and 1914, fully 10 percent of [male] aristocratic marriages followed this novel pattern”

1/ World Bank: Current forecasts suggest that the coronavirus (COVID-19) global recession will be the deepest since World War II, with the largest fraction of economies experiencing declines in per capita output since 1870.
blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/under… 2/ The global economy had 14 global recessions since 1870: 1876, 1885, 1893, 1908, 1914, 1917-21, 1930-32, 1938, 1945-46, 1975, 1982, 1991, 2009, 2020.
COVID-19 recession will be the deepest since 1945-46-more than twice as deep as recession after 2007-09 global financial crisis.

Yale Happiness Lab: “well known that living through hard circumstances can make us happier because it teaches each of us to be grateful for so many things in life." In studies, gratitude, consistently comes top of the list of what makes humans truly happy. thetimes.co.uk/article/yale-p… 2/ One of the misconceptions about happiness is that it comes down to our circumstances. “In fact, the data suggests that with a little time and the right practices [as long as we have a roof over our head and our basic needs met], we can thrive in whatever situation we are in.”

UK must remain in full lockdown until June to avoid worst effects of #covid19UK, gov leading epidemiology adviser said.
Sr gov figures more optimistic, suggesting restrictions could be eased sooner than June: peak of crisis expected in week of April 12.
thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/c… Professor Ferguson said: “We’re going to have to keep these measures [full lockdown] in place, in my view, for a significant period of time probably until end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic.”
When lifted, enforce some forms of social distancing for months more.

Great Influenza Pandemic arose in 3 main waves, the first in spring 1918, the second and most deadly from September 1918 to January 1919, and the third from February 1919 through the remainder of the year (with some countries having a fourth wave in 1920). voxeu.org/article/corona… 2/ The 2 initial waves coincided with the final year of World War I (1918), which helped to spread the infection across countries. An unusual feature of the pandemic was the high mortality among young adults without pre-existing medical conditions.