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2d ago

U.S. Fertility Rate Hits Record Low as Global Birth Decline Accelerates

Systemic reforms on housing affordability, paid parental leave, reproductive healthcare, gender equity are viewed as essential for reversing the trend.

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Scientists Explain Population Decline in Rich Countries
(Shutterstock)
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Overview

  • CDC data show the U.S. total fertility rate fell from 1.621 in 2023 to 1.599 in 2024, marking the lowest level on record.
  • Revised Census estimates lifted the 2024 birth count by about 1 percent to roughly 3.63 million babies as immigration increased the pool of women of childbearing age.
  • A June 2025 UNFPA report surveying over 14,000 people in 14 countries found global fertility rates declining faster than experts predicted.
  • Respondents cited high living costs, persistent gender inequality and growing uncertainty about the future as the main obstacles to having children.
  • The Trump administration has pursued IVF access expansion and baby bonuses, but researchers warn that durable fertility gains depend on broader policies addressing housing, leave and reproductive healthcare.