- Feb 5, 2002
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WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The U.S. fertility ratehas slowed to a new record low, according to an analysis recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But experts said there does not appear to be any one policy that could reverse a complex trend.
Experts who spoke with OSV News suggested that some policies growing in popularity — like paid parental leave and increasing child care options — might have other merits but aren’t necessarily going to increase fertility rates if implemented.
The U.S. fertility rate has generally fallen below what experts call replacement level, or the amount of live births necessary for a generation to reproduce itself, since 1971. A society that can’t meet its replacement rate might see adverse economic outcomes, as well as a reduced tax base, economists said.
“The trend line is pointing pretty much one direction and that’s down,” Patrick Brown, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Life and Family Initiative, told OSV News.
Brown said other countries with a similar trend that have implemented policies aimed at reversing the trend — such as Singapore or Sweden — have not had much impact on fertility rates.
Continued below.
Experts who spoke with OSV News suggested that some policies growing in popularity — like paid parental leave and increasing child care options — might have other merits but aren’t necessarily going to increase fertility rates if implemented.
U.S. fertility rate hits record low
The report, which examined 2023 birth certificate data, found a 2% decline from 2022, with 3,591,328 births recorded in 2023. It coincides with broader declining fertility rates globally.The U.S. fertility rate has generally fallen below what experts call replacement level, or the amount of live births necessary for a generation to reproduce itself, since 1971. A society that can’t meet its replacement rate might see adverse economic outcomes, as well as a reduced tax base, economists said.
“The trend line is pointing pretty much one direction and that’s down,” Patrick Brown, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Life and Family Initiative, told OSV News.
Brown said other countries with a similar trend that have implemented policies aimed at reversing the trend — such as Singapore or Sweden — have not had much impact on fertility rates.
Complex factors at play
Continued below.
Fertility decline a complex trend beyond any one policy solution
A new report, which examined 2023 birth certificate data, found a 2% decline from 2022, with 3,591,328 births recorded in 2023. It coincides with broader declining fertility rates globally.