Across the globe, birth rates are falling fast. We are living through an era of political pronatalism; several national campaigns can be seen urging families to have more children. However, members of the public seem unaffected by the push for the pro-birth initiatives. Current parents have raised long-term concerns, like economic and social realities that are affecting the size of families and quietly reshaping the future of parenthood.
Photo by Luma Pimentel on Unsplash
In June of 2025, a United Nations report titled The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World was published, revealing a stark truth behind the phenomenon. After surveying people in 14 countries, nearly 40 percent of respondents identified financial limitations as the leading cause behind why they are having fewer or no children. The report cites the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing, insecure job markets, and lack of accessible childcare as the dominant barriers. The findings are clear: people are not choosing smaller families out of apathy or selfishness, but out of necessity.
Nowhere is the ‘fertility crisis’ more evident than in the United States, where in 2024 the national fertility rate dropped to a historic low of 1.599 children per woman. That figure falls well below the replacement rate of 2.1 and places the United States alongside Western European countries already grappling with increasing ageing populations and shrinking workforces. This decline comes despite a wave of conservative-led pronatalist policies, including President Donald Trump's push for cash incentives for new mothers and calls to expand support for traditional family structures.
At the same time, the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade has added a new layer of complexity to the conversation. While many Trump supporters and pro-life activists believed that restricting abortion access would lead to a rise in birth rates, early data suggests the opposite has occurred. The legal uncertainty and loss of federal protection for reproductive rights have driven many young people, specifically women, to reconsider their reproductive plans altogether. Some have opted for long-term or even permanent contraception, citing fears about autonomy and access in the future to their healthcare and rights.
Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom faces a parallel reality. In 2023, the fertility rate in England and Wales fell to 1.44 children per woman, the lowest level ever recorded. Women are also delaying motherhood more so than ever before. Only 44 percent of women turning 30 in 2025 have children, compared to 58 percent among their mothers’ generation. Meanwhile, maternity services are shrinking. One in six maternity units in the UK has closed over the past decade, with regions like North London experiencing the greatest loss. That area now reports the lowest regional fertility in the country. More women are confidently stepping away from traditional roles, including the assumption that motherhood is inevitable. The ability to choose, not just the desire to parent, plays a powerful role in shaping their future
While governments on both sides of the Atlantic debate solutions and consider incentives, the core issue remains unchanged. People want stability. Without addressing the root causes, economic insecurity, housing shortages, childcare gaps, and limited reproductive rights, any push to increase birth rates may miss the mark. The fertility crisis is not just about numbers. It is more about women’s trust in the future and changing a system that remains flawed in how it supports families. One-off payments, tax breaks, or “baby bonuses” may grab headlines, but they fail to fix the daily realities that make parenthood feel out of reach. Cash incentives cannot buy affordable housing, secure childcare, or equal career opportunities. They cannot erase the fear that reproductive autonomy could be restricted, or that maternity services might be cut. Until these issues are addressed, the continuing decline in birth rates is unlikely to rebound anytime soon.
All statistics and sources are found on the sources page.
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