Overview

• This year’s World Population Day, themed around youth empowerment, spotlights reproductive freedom as the UN Population Fund frames it as the real fertility crisis.
• A UNFPA–YouGov survey of more than 14,000 adults across 14 countries found that 20% believe they cannot have their desired number of children and 39% attribute this to financial constraints.
• Global fertility has dropped from 3.31 births per woman in 1990 to 2.25 in 2025 and is projected to fall to replacement level by the late 2040s, raising concerns about population aging.
• Mexico reached 133 million people and launched its 2025–2030 National Population Program with intergenerational strategies to address slow growth and an ageing population.
• Despite a 21% reduction over six years, Mexico still records 22 births daily among girls under 15, underlining persistent adolescent motherhood challenges.