2030 Summary

If you told someone in 2019 about everything that would happen in 2020, they might not believe you. Who could’ve predicted this one year would bring a novel global pandemic, raging wildfires, a stock market crash, and worldwide racial justice protests, and much more? 

In these unprecedented times, it’s more important than ever to have an idea of what’s coming so we can prepare. Of course, things like a pandemic can’t really be predicted. But there is a way to make informed predictions about some things that might be headed our way. 

In the book 2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything by Mauro F. Guillen , we get informed predictions of where today’s trends will put us by the year 2030. Using a range of current demographic and sociological trends along with new technological advancements, Guillen gives a convincing portrait of what the next decade holds for our world. 

Some predictions include a drastic demographic change because of low birth rates, increased middle class, increased female wealth , climate change that will affect city life, and exciting technological advancements. His detailed predictions will give you a great resource for preparing for the exciting and not-so-excited changes coming our way in the next decade. 

1. Our world will never be the same again because of declining birth rates.
2. In 2030, women will have more than half of the world’s wealth.
3. Cryptocurrency will continue to rise in popularity, and by 2030 we might tap into its full potential.

A little more than 50 years ago, many people were worried about the prospect of overpopulation. With the declining birth rate, this isn’t as much of a concern for most people. Guillen argues that what we should be worried about in the next decade is actually the opposite: a baby drought. 

Since the 1970s, US women have, on average, had fewer than two kids each. So basically, we don’t even have enough children to replace the current generation at the current rate.

Why does this matter? Some people might say that this could be a good thing because of our planet’s limited resources. However, the economic system we have is reliant on the next generation if we are going to take care of the elderly. Their taxes are desperately needed to help foot the bill for the aging generation’s pensions. 

The reason the birth rate has declined dramatically is that there are more women in the workforce.  Because those women are actively working, they are more likely to wait until they are established in their field before having children. Because fertility drops with age , they tend to have fewer children if they decide to start a family. 

But that’s not the only reason. People are also having less sex. The Archives of Sexual Behavior published a study that found that in the 2010s, Americans had sex nine times less per year on average than in the 1990s. Why? Part of this has to do with the fact that technology means we now have many more enjoyable distractions in our homes. Sex is just one enjoyable thing we can choose from to do on a night in. 

But not every country is experiencing this drastic decline in birth rates. There is currently a population boom in sub-Saharan Africa. The author says this will have two effects in the next decade. Because this part of the continent relies on imported food, markets for food and developing agriculture in this area will become a trillion-dollar sector. Second, Western nations might have to change stances on immigration because they might need to bring in immigrant workers from this area to care for and fund the huge growth in retirees. 

One major change coming in 2030 is that women will hold more than half of the world’s wealth for the first time. Right now, women in the workplace face some big challenges when it comes to wealth advancement. Many women are also primary caregivers to children and family members. When she is a primary caregiver, a woman often loses a few years of work, which means missing out on salary advances that male counterparts enjoy.

But the good news for working women is that the pool of qualified workers will shrink thanks to the combination of low birth rates and an aging population. This change means that businesses will start relying on working caregivers more than they ever have.

Gallup polls report that we’re increasingly ready for this shift in working women. A recent poll shows we are more positively disposed toward women who hold positions of power than ever. Increased numbers of working women and women in leadership positions mean women will have more wealth than ever in the coming decade.

 With this change comes changes in global spending. Drawing from research on female spending habits, the author predicts this change will mean we will see increases in spending on education, health care, and insurance. Typically, women have been bigger spenders in this area. When it comes to investments, women will likely go for safer investments such as index funds. 

As technology moves forward, money is also changing. People are increasingly comfortable with more abstract forms of money. The next potential revolution in money is cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin might seem a little bit too on the fringe for your average person, by 2030, the author predicts cryptocurrencies will become mainstream.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin work completely online through a peer-to-peer system. Bitcoin isn’t associated with any government or even any bank. All transactions are available online for the public. They are shown on the public record called a blockchain. 

Each block is a recorded transaction, and they are all strung together to make an encrypted blockchain. The blockchain’s code means it cannot be tampered with because it would be immediately known. This makes it the world’s most secure form of currency. 

Even though it comes from solid technology, people are still mostly sticking to bank accounts rather than switching to crypto. It’s understandable since its valuation is always fluctuating all over the place. 

But blockchain technology has huge potential to revolutionize money as we know it. It would mean no more middlemen to process transactions and no more money controlled by banks and governments. It could also help us be more ethical in our spending. 

An example of this is Dexio, an app that uses the blockchain to track diamond transactions so consumers can avoid buying blood diamonds. The technology could also make e-voting more secure as well as decrease online piracy. This is one of the many ways cryptocurrency could completely change money as we know it; if only we can finally embrace it. 

I love speculating about the future, so naturally, I really enjoyed 2030 . The great thing about this book is that it’s not just guessing, but the authors base the information on current trends in society. I can’t wait to see how things actually shake out over the next 10 years!

The 27-year-old that works in the tech industry and wants to stay ahead, the 65-year-old who feels behind because of the accelerating changes they’ve seen in the world throughout their lifetime, and anyone curious to know what the future holds.