African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 463: Chapter 141 Population Crisis

Under the shadow of the economic crisis, East Africa is experiencing a rare wave of immigration. In East Africa, this term specifically refers to German immigrants, not others. If East Africa truly relaxed its immigration policy, the population growth rate would be terrifyingly fast.

So in 1874, East Africa once again went against the current and further raised immigration thresholds, enforcing stricter health screenings for immigrants. Do not underestimate this health check criterion; this alone can filter out a large batch of immigrants who do not meet Ernst’s expectations.

The 19th century was a time where darkness and development coexisted. In the 21st century, people from the Far East felt that the West had a serious drug problem, but it was the 19th century that was truly chaotic, because in the 19th century drugs were not considered an issue, but rather a common occurrence.

Ernst could already sense this in his past life in Africa. The living conditions of Africans were not very different from those regions outside of modern Europe and America.

There were always addicts on the streets of African cities, and unlike Americans who preferred high-tech production or imports from Mexico, they would use anything from cough syrup, glue to aviation fuel as substances.

The 19th century didn’t have many fancy drugs; it was mainly opium and chemical drugs running rampant, and due to the lack of regulatory systems, it was very easy for ordinary people to purchase them.

So after East Africa started enforcing strict health screenings, it could immediately filter out twenty percent of the immigrants. Of course, it wasn’t just drug issues that were considered, but other factors as well.

Anyone in Ernst’s position would fear the rapidly increasing number of immigrants. While there might be no immediate impact, over time it would become clear that the initial immigration policies were somewhat crude.

East Africa’s population growth rate was too fast, surpassing that of all other countries. Comparing it to a fellow immigrant nation like the United States, which grew from five million in 1800 to over twenty-three million by 1850, was telling.

According to the U.S. population trend, if East Africa implemented the same population system, by the end of the 19th century, its population would be at least over forty million.

However, East Africa was clearly different from the United States. East Africa’s birth rate was significantly higher, and the public’s desire to have children would not change much for the next thirty years.

Ernst didn’t need to think twice about this. In the 21st century, many older generations in rural areas of the Far East still held onto the belief that ”more children bring more blessings.” Ernst’s parents thought the same, and even if East Africa, an agricultural nation, transformed into an industrial state in a short period, social thinking would persist for a long time due to inertia.

Most countries going through early-stage industrialization will experience a population boom. However, East Africa might not see this because its population growth has already exploded, plus it has a relatively basic industrial system.

Therefore, even if the levels of productivity and healthcare improve, East Africa’s population growth will not suddenly increase dramatically again.

Because the current birth rate in East Africa is already at its limit, and this is related to East Africa’s social distribution issues, although the wealth of Heixinggen’s royal family and state finances are two separate systems.

The Heixinggen royal family capital is the main force behind East African construction while the state has lower revenue but lighter expenditure burdens.

It’s said to be a planned economy, but there are only a few small state-owned factories, and agriculture taxes are the main source of fiscal revenue.

Do not underestimate agriculture tax; East Africa is not a typical agricultural nation, it can be considered an agricultural power, and its agriculture tax surpasses the fiscal revenue of many countries worldwide.

Therefore, compared to many countries, the fiscal revenue of the Kingdom of East Africa is not small, and the main expenditure is supporting the newly born population of East Africa.

This includes major aspects like food, clothing, housing, transportation, and education. This allowed for unfettered population growth in the first decade, so Ernst plans to end this support policy in 1875, as further birth rates would be unsustainable for the nation.

Moreover, the East African population has become a puzzle. It’s been three years without a population census. It’s not due to East Africa’s negligence, but rather because it’s challenging to maintain detailed statistics like before. The data you collect today might be outdated tomorrow due to new births. If a census were conducted annually, the statisticians would be exhausted.

Of course, stopping new birth subsidies can’t happen overnight. The change in policy needs to be spread throughout East Africa, so citizens are aware and do not continue to have large families.

”The population growth rate in East Africa has exceeded expectations. Therefore, starting from next year, apart from free education, other childbirth support will be reduced or stopped. Some families in East Africa already have seven or eight, even more than ten children (these belong to family migrations), and if this phenomenon becomes widespread in East Africa, what will the population be in twenty years? A large number of newborns have already become a burden for East Africa, so we now need to bring East Africa’s population growth rate back to a normal level and reduce government intervention and guidance,” Ernst said at the East African population conference.

After Ernst’s speech, others began a heated discussion.

”Your Highness, although our country’s birth rate is high, the survival rate should not be that high.”

”It’s true, but our newborn’s survival rate isn’t low; it’s even higher than some underdeveloped regions. Even if the number of newborns in a family doesn’t reach seven or eight, it’s at least four or five, and that’s not the limit. It’s only been ten years since East Africa transitioned from colony to kingdom, and the population base is already established. What’s going to happen in the next decade?”

”This doesn’t even take into account the immigrants. The number of immigrants is also considerable. Our scale of immigration is on par with the United States. Especially with this economic crisis, there might again be an influx of over a million people into East Africa.”

”So, it’s not just about birth subsidies, but immigrant numbers should be restricted as well. Although East Africa is relatively spacious now, we can’t blindly import population for the sake of development. Land is abundant, but it’s still limited.”

”There’s also the issue of national ideology. As an immigrant country, our East African national ideology is still fragile. A continuous influx of foreign populations dilutes the efforts we’ve made before.”

For those opposing, there are supporters, though their reasons are less convincing.

After all, the Kingdom of East Africa is not implementing birth control; it’s merely ending birth subsidies. You can have children if you want, but it depends on whether your wages are sufficient. If one wants to voluntarily tighten their belt to have children, they can continue, but in East Africa, abandonment is a severe crime, so it’s imperative to live within one’s means and consider carefully.

”Alright, this is how it will be decided. There are still five months now, you must inform all levels of government to deliver this policy change to every household. Newborns, including those born next year, will no longer receive government subsidies. Naturally, those already pregnant this year should be accounted for—the next five months serve as the final window period.”

At the government routine work meeting in 1874, a shift occurred in East African population policy, indicating that East Africa could achieve self-renewal and meet its construction needs without immigration.

The population of the Kingdom of East Africa is no longer the nation’s weak point, and East Africa’s pursuit of population is shifting from quantity to quality.

Although the western inland population remains insufficient, the eastern population can spill over sufficiently, and given that immigration work continues, it’s only a matter of time to absorb the western inland.