America’s fertility rate hits a new record low
Image: Newsweek
Despite all the new moms on your Insta feed, baby fever is gradually losing its grip on Americans across the country. The US fertility rate fell to an all-time low of ~1.6 children per woman in 2024, according to new CDC data published late last week.
- The agency also found ~3.63 million children were born in the US last year, down from an all-time high of 4.3 million in 2007.
- It marks the third-lowest annual figure of the past 40+ years, outside of 2020 and 2023.
What’s driving the trend?
Apart from in-laws not applying enough peer pressure, experts say there are a wide range of reasons why Americans aren’t having as many kids:
- Teen pregnancies have declined by 68% compared to 2007 levels, largely due to increased access to contraception.
- Women are increasingly opting to pursue higher education and establish fulfilling, high-paying careers, raising the “opportunity costs” associated with having a child.
- More younger Americans are delaying having children until they can financially support themselves. This point is increasingly occurring later in life, due to factors like student debt and rising costs of living.
- And speaking of rising costs: The price of childcare in the US increased by 263% between 1991-2024, or twice the level of inflation over the same period.
America isn’t alone. A large majority of the world’s richest countries have seen fertility rates plummet below replacement level (~2.1 children/woman) in recent decades, with the trend attributed to many of the same factors seen in the US. Some nations have implemented measures to increase birth rates, including government-run dating apps, expanded parental leave, and cash grants for having children.
Looking ahead…The Trump admin has also proposed several steps to increase falling US birth rates. These include an executive order seeking to expand access to IVF, as well as potential “baby bonuses” to encourage more couples to have kids.
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Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that economists and policymakers consistently overlook a critical reality: Giving birth in the US can be dangerous, expensive, and unsupported—so if policymakers genuinely want women to have more children, they must first address those issues.
- Others contend that Trump and Republicans are right to be concerned about our declining birth rate—but they’re all wrong on what to do about it, as a country facing possible population decline can hardly afford to discourage and expel immigrants with such unprecedented cruelty and malice.
- “Want a higher birthrate? Make having babies safer, more affordable” –Robin Pickering, Seattle Times
- “The reality Trump can’t see: We need immigrants” –Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board
- “A Bold Idea to Raise the Birthrate: Make Parenting Less Torturous” –Anna Louie Sussman, NY Times
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that there are many reasons to believe that people’s collective decision to drastically reduce childbearing will have catastrophic effects across nations, including no longer taking consistent economic growth as a given.
- Others contend that it’s necessary to create a culture where having children is celebrated in order to reverse the falling birthrates, since when people see others finding joy in children despite the daily grind, the sacrifices are perceived as easier to bear.
- “The U.S. birthrate has dropped to its lowest level ever: Why should we care?” –Stephen Cranney, Deseret
- “The world is running out of children, but there's a path forward” –Seth D Kaplan, Fox News
- “Want to Raise Birthrates? Immigration Is the Key” –Jason L. Riley, WSJ
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