US Birth Rate Hits Record Low

[Economy 53,075]

On 5/3/2026 at 12:01 PM, SpadesToStart said:

Because our country is a racist oligarchy, and millennials are the most educated generation in history, so we can see it for what it is and refuse to bring children into that.

Literally half the developed world has just hit their all time lows (most of them lower than the US on top of that). Im willing to bet it had nothing to do with anything specific to the United States

[JoeCool 1,080]

I don't think it's like one thing but ultimately hundreds of things that led to this

 

Cost of living, young men not dating or being involved with society, a more antisocial environment, women can be choosier about their partners (not saying that's a bad thing at all), etc.........

[Economy 53,075]

On 5/3/2026 at 1:41 PM, PartySick said:

It's kinda why experts weren't really scared of global overpopulation. The Earth can only support so many humans and we'll naturally kinda level out like all populations of animals do.

 

Im not entirely sure this holds. The poorest places in the world where resources are most limited to the average person (Africa) is still where people are having the most babies and population growing the fastest

 

As much as we complain about rising cost of living in developed world (and its a legitimate complaint), the majoroty of people are not starving yet or lacking basic necessities even with things are tighter than decades ago.

 

In nature lack of resources usually slow growth and reverse it. In humans case this doesnt appear to be anything in nature. We engineered it ourselves with a complex society that is hostile to having many children if any at all. 

 

Had we grown with different policies birth rates probably woulda held up better and thats purely based on conscious decisions not a mother nature balance. Eventually lack of resources would force us to shrink in numbers but were not there yet where you can point to that as the real core reason

Edited May 6 by Economy

[27monster27 16,030]

On 5/3/2026 at 3:42 PM, TheSine said:

Slightly off-topic, but this reminds me of when someone I used to talk to mentioned declining birth rates, and his first thought was to blame the women instead looking at the full-picture and realize what the state of our world has become...

Oh gosh this is like Elon Musk. His birth fetish/bigotry is crazy.

[TheARTPOPball 1,703]

People cannot afford kids. 

[27monster27 16,030]

People can't afford children, the current world has a lot of problems, and there is growing awareness about having kids not being everything. What I mean about the last part is that we have evolved as a species to the point where we don't need to have kids be the end all be all life goal. We aren't cave people anymore. On the other two reasons I mentioned, who would want to raise a kid while not having enough money and seeing the world we live in? Who wants to bring a child into that? Most of the people are bigots who shouldn't be having children since they will groom them into their bigotry and/or disown them the moment they do something out of line with their beliefs.

[Economy 53,075]

On 5/3/2026 at 3:24 PM, PartySick said:

It's also interesting that the only countries with high birth rates are the ones we in the West would consider "third world countries" and as those nations modernize, their birth rates plummet too  

It's like complicating an economy without supporting 99% of the people who live in that economy forces people to just let their bloodlines die  

Bingo. Imo the rich vs poor is seriously over simplifying the issue and its also why i think the whole "people cant afford to have kids because of the cost of living" is at best an incomplete argument even if it has a sliver of truth to it

 

We do know high cost of living, middle class struggles and poor worklife balance does deter some people from having kids. But we also know extremely poor Nations have MORE kids and that historically in human history people have struggled more than now and still had more kids so economics of how much you can afford is not the full and only equation

 

We knows it has some impact as Nations where ordinary citizens are given more benefits, payed parental time off and more work life balance in their cultures (predominantly Scandinavian Countries) have slightly better birth rates than the rest of Developed world. BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY! Their birth rates are still below replacement level

 

This suggests even if u made economic circumstances perfect with shorter work weeks, benefits and financial breathing room the number of kids people would have would only increase so much.

 

I think the real big difference is cultural change + complexity you spoke of as an economy advances. Its not just how rich or poor people are but more importantly how they live their lives.

 

In modern society woman have careers and dont wanna just stay home. Kids have to go to school and be picked up and they have to go through that until age 18. Modern society also values hobbies, vacations/experiences, confort, freedom etc more than previous generations did and kids get in the way of that

 

Moderb society is complex and kids add even more conplexity, stress and reduce freedom.

 

I absolutely agree deteriorating economics dont help as some people who do want kids may be detered from it if their finances are too tight. But i also believe that reason is over emphasized. It may be a factor but i dont think its the MAIN factor. If it was, birth rates should vary more wildly from more prosperous industrialized nations vs less prosperous but the difference isnt huge between them

 

On the other hand look at Saudi Arabia. Solid economics and industrialized but a unique conservative culture where women stay home and it is not a culture where people seek freedom and hobbies (or at least admit to them). Their birth rates are way higher than just about any other wealthy industrialized Nation. To me this further Emphasizes culture and values have more to do with it than anything

Edited May 6 by Economy

[Squidward T 2,470]

The gay depopulation agenda is working hehehe. Just kidding. It’s because people can’t afford it. 

[SlowLoris 1,226]

Good

[Economy 53,075]

18 hours ago, Squidward T said:

The gay depopulation agenda is working hehehe. Just kidding. It’s because people can’t afford it. 

I honestly think thats only maybe 40% of the reason.

[SharkmanthaC 115,119]

Not you all hating on people having kids so hard when I literally paid thousands to bring mine into the world. 

[Squidward T 2,470]

They should cull the next generation “the baby busters” lol 

[Leblanc 2,494]

On 5/3/2026 at 5:01 PM, SpadesToStart said:

Because our country is a racist oligarchy, and millennials are the most educated generation in history, so we can see it for what it is and refuse to bring children into that.

Maybe the world needs the good people to have lots of kids and teach them the right things to actually make the world a better place idk