America's Birth Rate Decline
T.S. Eliot famously wrote that the world would end “not with a bang but with a whimper." Sadly, this sentiment accurately describes a potential reality we face in the wake of declining populations across many developed nations.
While many among the Left have long discussed the issue of “overpopulation,” experts have rightly pointed out that this so-called issue is largely a myth, especially at a global level. In fact, the reality of shrinking and aging populations has become so pervasive that some progressives have now started to praise the decline as a positive trend for humanity. The Scientific American lectured, for example, that “[a] future with fewer people offers increased opportunity and a healthier environment.”
The average American should recognize this perspective for what it is: a draconian vision for the world. This radical view doubles down on a flawed premise embraced by modern leftists: that human beings are the central threat to our world and our universe. Furthermore, it fails to recognize the truly catastrophic impact that a population incapable of replacement could have on civilization as we know it.
As a nation, the trendline could not be more clear: America’s birth rate has been on a 17-year decline. In fact, the fertility rate in the U.S. hit a record low of 1.64 expected births per woman in 2020. Rates remained fairly steady for the next two years, before the general fertility rate in the U.S. decreased by 3 percent and reached a historic low last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Experts have long held that in developed nations, population replacement generally requires a total fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman to ensure a stable population. Thus, our current fertility trends place us well below what is required to maintain our growth.
While we face a serious issue as a country, China’s population has actually declined for three consecutive years. In fact, media outlets have reported that China’s fertility rate is less than half of the replacement rate. This means that unless something changes, every generation will be less than half of the size of the generation before it.
Our rival superpower’s history with fertility brings a unique set of reasons for their population predicament. However, America’s birth rate declines have occurred for many reasons.
As I have described in previous posts, falling marriage rates have impacted our birth rates. Furthermore, declining amounts of sex within our child-bearing aged population have contributed to these trends, as well Americans simply settling down at older ages, screen addiction, and health factors like diet and exercise.
Our changing practices have certainly contributed to our falling birth rates, but our shifting priorities as a culture have undoubtedly played a role as well.
Research shows that a growing number of Americans believe they won’t ever have children. According to a Pew Research study, the number of Americans under the age of 50 who believe that they will never have kids grew by 10 percent from 2018 to 2023, from 37 to 47 percent respectively. Not only do almost half of child-rearing aged Americans now believe that they will never have kids, but nearly six-in-ten (57 percent) of those Americans indicate that simply don’t want to have children. Why? A majority of these Americans under the age of 50 indicate that not having kids has “made it easier for them to afford the things they want, have time for hobbies and interests, and save for the future.” Plus, 60 percent believe “not having kids has made it easier for them to be successful in their job or career and to have an active social life.”
While I believe you must be careful not to generalize every story regarding a very personal decision, the data clearly indicates that our priorities have shifted in modern America. This should not surprise us. Our culture promotes satisfaction of self above all else. It rewards self-promotion and encourages self-indulgence. Yet, ironically, it denies our capacity for self-reliance and self-determination.
What many today fail to understand is that the purpose of those latter ideals was never really about the focus of “self” in the first place. Those values empower us to protect, to preserve, and to bring prosperity to the most of important segment of our society – the family unit.
I agree with the above respondents on one thing – life without kids can often be less stressful. It is certainly less expensive, and it is absolutely less messy. Yet, one must ask – is an easier, cheaper, and tidier life really the one most worth living?
I can only answer for myself. God has a plan for each of us, and if we let Him, He can turn our lives into something beautiful.
In closing, I merely suggest that our current birth rate trends indicate many Americans are missing out on one of the most profound human experiences simply because they do not understand the value that can await their sacrifice.