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US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

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Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#21

Post by 8note »

mhneu wrote: post #8

For decades, the US birth rate has been held up by immigration. American values have been to regard the country as a nation of immigrants, who not only act as a source of youthful workers, but also have more kids than Americans who have been here longer. So the US has avoided workforce aging, as has happened in parts of Europe and especially Japan, through immigration. With the recent reduction in immigration, accele…

he should have had seven. three is still a decline from the generation before.

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#22

Post by confuseddesi »

0xB31B1B wrote: post #5

Student loans, housing costs, job prospects, healthcare, childcare. People are making a rational decision to avoid children they can’t afford. We as a society need to re-examine the causes of rising costs of essentials so reproduction is no longer financially infeasible.

In general, the richer someone is, the less likely they are to have as many children. See https://www.economist.com/node/21561112.

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#23

Post by freyir »

zerostar07 wrote: post #14
0xB31B1B wrote: post #5

Student loans, housing costs, job prospects, healthcare, childcare. People are making a rational decision to avoid children they can’t afford. We as a society need to re-examine the causes of rising costs of essentials so reproduction is no longer financially infeasible.

Then why is Germany, Sweden, Spain, Japan, Finland etc significantly below the US?

Historically, children generated profit. These days, in developed countries, children are expensive. They cost money and time (e.g., years that you would otherwise spend going to school, building a career).

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#24

Post by coldtea »

0xB31B1B wrote: post #5

Student loans, housing costs, job prospects, healthcare, childcare. People are making a rational decision to avoid children they can’t afford. We as a society need to re-examine the causes of rising costs of essentials so reproduction is no longer financially infeasible.

>Student loans, housing costs, job prospects, healthcare, childcare. People are making a rational decision to avoid children they can’t afford.

Well, people in the US made way more children when they made very few money, and lived 10 together in tiny houses and apartments.

And they still do in the developing world.

So it can't be just costs.

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#25

Post by xevb3k »

This is something that seems to happen in most countries when they reach a certain stage of development (see Japan, Korea).

I think it related to the general availability of contraception and that the work involved in caring for children has increased, while the number of carers has decreased.

The trend toward migration means grandparents are often not nearby to help care for kids. This coupled with the fact that in most cases both parents need to work increases the difficulty in raising kids dramatically.

I’ve also noticed that, while grandparents are not around to help, fathers often still don’t involve themselves in childcare.

All this coupled with how expensive kids are means that if you can satisfy yourself with one child, people often do. Enough that it depresses the birth rate significantly in any case.

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#26

Post by throwawaymanbot »

In their zeal to make us all live in the 1950s socially, the GOP have created a nightmare situation, whereby the large businesses lobby them to make changes in their favor thus creating pollutions, that in turn destroys the sperm count of young males, so theres less children to teach about creationism.

Ya have to laugh!

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#27

Post by ElevenLathe »

gregorymichael wrote: post #2

What are the economic ramifications of fertility rate being below the replacement level?

They should be mild, really, so long as immigration makes up for it, and the US is historically good at attracting and assimilating immigrants. Trump aside (which is indeed a big aside), it seems like that will probably continue.

Politically, it probably means increased racial tensions as the majority white population finds itself on a more and more equal footing with other ethnic groups.

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#28

Post by lxm »

0xB31B1B wrote: post #5

Student loans, housing costs, job prospects, healthcare, childcare. People are making a rational decision to avoid children they can’t afford. We as a society need to re-examine the causes of rising costs of essentials so reproduction is no longer financially infeasible.

This is interpreting previous decades as "normal" and current status quo as "abnormal".

Hypothetically, though, if previous generations (a) did not need as many farm hands, (b) did not need as many factory workers, (c) had access to cheap birth control and (d) enjoyed low child mortality rates, do you think their high birth rates would've stayed as high?

Re: US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

#30

Post by kuroguro »

Viker wrote: post #10

Interesting... How many people here would say that they have actively decided not to have children? I am just curious.

Also the number of people living alone seems to be rising. I wonder what % of that are active choices.
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