News
Bloomberg Tracks “The Global Fertility Crash”
The steep worldwide decline in births is getting more and more attention in the news. Bloomberg recently did a deep dive on includes conversations with women across the world about their marriage and childbearing decisions. It also has a fascinating searchable visualization of falling fertility in nearly every country worldwide. Read and explore the whole thing HERE.
Michigan Fertility Rate Below Great Depression Levels
A look at Michigan’s fertility trends paints a clear picture as to why the state’s population figures have stagnated over the last decade. An article at Mlive.com shows that there were fewer children born in Michigan in 2018 than in 1942. Its fertility rate has slumped to 1.7 children per woman, though that is fairly comparable to what the U.S. is seeing nationwide. As Demographic Intelligence has noted before, delayed marriage has led to lower levels of childbearing across the country and Michigan is no exception. Read the entire article HERE.
Global Fertility Decline Continues
In a new study posted at the Institute for Family Studies, Demographic Intelligence Advisor Lyman Stone reveals that fertility rates continue to fall across the globe. While there are a few places where birthrates are on the rise, most notably in nations that used to be part of the Soviet bloc, those are anomalies and not expected to last. Stone’s research shows that the decline in fertility is not confined to developed nations and policies aimed at promoting childbearing are, mostly, not having much of an effect. His data shows that fertility rates are likely to stabilize well below the expectations of most population forecasters. Read his entire piece here.
Addressing the Fertility Gap
Demographic Intelligence Advisor Lyman Stone in mid-September spoke before a United States Congress Joint Economic Committee hearing aimed at addressing the costs of raising a family. As our research has noted, there is a significant difference between the number of children American women desire and how many they actually are having. Stone in his remarks said the fertility gap is mostly being caused by delayed marriage leading to lower levels of childbirth. He also provided policy recommendations that could help to narrow the gap. Stone’s testimony can be viewed in full here.
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