Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Leslie Root, Assistant Professor of Research, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder

Fears that falling birth rates in US could lead to population collapse are based on faulty assumptions

Unfortunately for demographers, birth rates are hard to predict far into the future. gremlin/E+ via Getty Images

Pronatalism – the belief that low birth rates are a problem that must be reversed – is having a moment in the U.S.

As birth rates decline in the U.S. and throughout the world, voices from Silicon Valley to the White House are raising concerns about what they say could be the calamitous effects of steep population decline on the economy. The Trump administration has said it is seeking ideas on how to encourage Americans to have more children as the U.S. experiences its lowest total fertility rate in history, down about 25% since 2007.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.