Yes. I agree, birth rates have been lower in many places before the pandemic, probably in gradual decline over the last 60 years. Perhaps I should've clarified

Yes. I agree, birth rates have been lower in many places before the pandemic, probably in gradual decline over the last 60 years. Perhaps I should've clarified that I fully expect that we'll be dealing with an ageing population in the future. The question here is whether or not the pandemic played any significant role. It's possible that it may have even slightly "helped" the problem of an ageing population.