The demographic strength of a great power – the size and human capital of its population – has long been a key factor in geopolitical competitions. Scholars have argued that long-term shifts in balances of power often correlated with changes in demographic strengths of great powers. Few states have become great powers without enjoying demographic weight in global or regional systems. Today’s major powers are among the most populous states in the world or in their regions. As a result, an aspiring strategist should pay close attention to the demography of states and to global demographic trends.
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