Come on! We need more kids!

 

America Remains Below Replacement-Level Fertility

Following a steep decline throughout the 60s and 70s, America’s fertility rate has hovered slightly below the replacement-level fertility rate for many decades.

This decline is due to a mix of social and economic changes:

• More women entering higher education and the labor force
• Postponed marriages and childbearing
• Rising costs of housing, childcare, and education
• Evolving personal preferences that prioritize career, flexibility, or fewer children.

These trends are already posing major challenges. A recent study found that there are 5.7 million more childless U.S. women of prime childbearing age than would have been expected if pre-Great Recession fertility patterns held steady, contributing to what the authors call a looming “demographic cliff.”

In fact, U.S. population growth is now almost entirely driven by immigration, as births alone are no longer enough to offset the nation’s below-replacement fertility rate.

SOURCE: HERE