Falling Birthrates in the USA

The United States, like other wealthy countries, has been experiencing falling birth rates.
For instance, while fertility rate was 1.76 in the US in 2017, it had reduced to 1.72 in 2018
(Stone 6). This paper examines reasons behind this fall and the consequences of the fall to both
individuals and society in general. It will show that use of contraceptives and delay by women in
having children is the main cause of the fall in birthrates and that the fall has both advantages
and disadvantages to individuals and society in general.

There are many reasons why the US is experiencing falling birth rates. One of them is
increasing use of birth control by teenagers (Kearney & Levine 15). In fact, the overall fall in
birth and fertility rates is largely driven by falling birth and fertility rates among teenagers
(Kearney & Levine 15). Teenagers are still as sexually active as previous generations. However,
thanks to more use of birth control, they are getting pregnant less often than was the case in the
past (Kearney & Levine 15). Thus, increased use of contraceptives, particularly among
teenagers, is one of the main reasons why fertility and birth rates are falling in the US.

A second reason is delay in having children by women. Women are increasingly waiting
until they are older before they start having children (Gibson-Davis et al. 2). This delay is mainly
driven by workplace commitments. As they get into these workplaces, where they are forced to
put parenthood on hold as they pursue advancement in their careers (Dribe et al. 8). For many

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working women, having a child actually has a negative impact on their earnings and career
progress. With something to lose when having a child, women delay and carefully plan the time
they want to have a child (Kearney & Levine 16). Research has shown that the older a woman is
at the time that they produce their first child, the more likely they are to produce fewer children
(Gibson-Davis et al. 2). Thus, having more women in workplaces has significantly increased the
age at which women are having their first children, which in turn has led to a reduction in the
number of children that a woman can have in the course of their lifetime. The result has been a
marked decrease in fertility and birth rates in the US. Another reason for low fertility and birth
rates in the U.S. could be financial factors. Children need significant time and financial resources
to be raised (Dribe et al. 4). When a woman and her partner lack financial stability, they may
decide to postpone having a child until such a time when they will be in a favorable financial
position to have a child.

Fertility rates provide an important indicator of the well-being of a country. Both
individuals and societies in general benefit when fertility rates are low. At an individual level,
having low fertility rate means that there are enough resources to fully take care of the needs of
children, such as their education and healthcare needs (Gibson-Davis et al. 3). At the societal
level, fewer children put less pressure on important facilities such as hospitals and schools. Thus,
the fewer the children the more likely they are to have good outcomes in life and put less strain
on shared resources in the community.

Low birth rates are not entirely beneficial to individuals and society. For the economy to
grow and provide opportunities for everyone, there is need for the workforce to be replenished
(Dribe et al. 5). When people age and there is no one replacing them, economic growth slows
down much to the detriment of everyone. This is because the economy will be driven by a much

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older population, which is less productive than a younger one. Thus, to make sure that there is
constant replenishment of the workforce, there is need for birth rates to be more than 2.1 per
woman (Dribe et al. 5). Such a birth-rate ensures that there is a replacement for every person
who stops working due to age.

Another disadvantage of having low birth-rate is that families have fewer people to take
care of their elder individuals. When people age, they become more dependent on younger
people for physical and sometimes financial support (Dribe et al. 6). However, with a low birth-
rate, there are just not enough young people to take care of the elderly ones in the society. This is
not just a problem at an individual or family level, it is also a problem at the societal level.
Governments need financial resources generated by younger people in the workforce to cater for
the needs of older, less productive members of the society. When the workforce shrinks because
of low birth-rates, the government gets fewer resources to take care of older citizens. Thus,
having a low birth-rate is particularly negative for older people.

In conclusion, fertility rates are an important well-being indicator in any society. The
fewer children women have, the better for their well-being as they will have access to adequate
resources needed to effectively meet their needs. Low birth-rates, however, are undesirable for
older people in the society because they will have fewer young people to take care of them. They
also have a negative impact on the economy in the long run because they increase the average
age of a worker and reduce overall productivity.

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Works Cited

Dribe, Martin et al. “Socioeconomic status and fertility decline: Insights from historical
transition in Europe and North America.” Population Studies 71.1 (2017): 3-21.

Gibson-Davis, Christina M., et al. “High Hopes but Even Higher Expectations: The Retreat From
Marriage Among Low-Income Couples.” Journal of Marriage & Family, vol. 67, no. 5,
Dec. 2005, pp. 1301-1312. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005. 00218.x.

Kearney, Melissa S., and Phillip B. Levine. “Investigating recent trends in the US teen birth
rate.” Journal of Health Economics 41 (2015): 15-29.

Stone, Lyman. “Declining Fertility in America.” AEI Paper & Studies (2018).