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Friday, April 10, 2026

The rate is down about 1% from 2024 and nearly 20% lower than it was two decades ago.

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The Heritage Foundation is torn between being gleeful that public schools are losing money and being apoplectic about the declining (white) birth rate www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026 ...

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-- Josh Cowen (@joshcowenmi.bsky.social) Mar 16, 2026 at 3:28 PM

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... The fertility rate in the United States has been trending down for decades, and new federal data shows that another drop last year brought the rate down to the lowest on record.

About 3.6 million babies were born in the US in 2025, according to provisional data published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 53 births for every 1,000 women of reproductive age. That rate is down about 1% from 2024 and nearly 20% lower than it was two decades ago.

A pronatalist movement has gained momentum under the Trump administration, buoyed by policy moves geared toward encouraging people to have more children.

Experts generally agree that a falling fertility rate can have real consequences -- particularly related to the economy -- but say it's important to understand the reasons behind the decline before trying to change it. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-04-10 04:30 PM | Reply

Related:

About 9% of U.S. births in 2023 were to unauthorized or temporary legal immigrant mothers


In 2023, mothers who were unauthorized immigrants or had legal temporary status in the U.S. had 320,000 babies, representing about 9% of all 3.6 million babies born in the U.S. that year. About 260,000 of those babies would not have qualified for birthright citizenship if Trump's executive order had already been in effect. This includes:

About 245,000 babies born to mothers who were unauthorized immigrants and fathers who were not citizens or lawful permanent residents
About 15,000 babies born to mothers who had legal temporary status and fathers who were not citizens or lawful permanent residents

www.pewresearch.org

#2 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-04-10 04:54 PM | Reply

It's too expensive to have kids.

Welcome to end stages capitalism.

#3 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-04-10 04:57 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

Besides. Why do we need poor people having kids when AI will take care of all the needs of the Epstein Class.

#4 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-04-10 04:58 PM | Reply

This is also post the end of Roe v Wade.

Seems like banning abortions and forcing women to give birth hasn't increased birth rates.

But it has resulted in a lot more dead women due to easily resolvable pregnancy complications.

MAGA!!!!

#5 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-04-10 05:00 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

"End-stage" or late-stage capitalism is widely considered a driver of declining birth rates, as high costs of living, intense economic precarity, and demanding work cultures make raising children financially and logistically challenging. This systemic pressure often results in couples having fewer children than they desire due to the prioritization of career, lack of time, and high expenses.

#6 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-04-10 05:03 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Having kids is too expensive for most people to be able to afford it.

This is the fifty years in the making generational impact of trickle down.

Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households.

When those gains were more evenly distributed, like when most of us were born, it meant more people could afford to start a family.

#7 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-10 06:42 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 8

- Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households.

That's about the last time companies paid a living wage. It wasn't much, but enough to live... unlike now.

Rwing Republicans wanted Revenge for Nixon... and all those war profits they lost when the People forced the issue on Vietnam and Nixon.

They vowed it would never happen again, and allied with the Oligarchs in a Plan to get power again and keep it. Which they did by dividing voters on social issues as more important than democracy and economic questions.

They gave us Reaganism and SC rulings like CU. And the Tea Party and Project25.

And the Worst President in History... Twice.

#8 | Posted by Corky at 2026-04-10 07:44 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 4

Hopefully it's centered in red states.

#9 | Posted by Yodagirl at 2026-04-10 09:31 PM | Reply

Good, this planet is clearly trying to support far more humans than it can safely support. Fewer people, slower rise in human caused global warming and overuse of resources.

#10 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-04-11 08:11 AM | Reply

^all the above should darwin out for bad attitude and brains washed

#11 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-04-11 09:02 AM | Reply

Having children is not the most important thing one can do;
Having children is the only important thing one can do

#12 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-04-11 09:04 AM | Reply

Isn't this what Malthusian leftists want?

#13 | Posted by BellRinger at 2026-04-11 09:10 AM | Reply

Malthusian leftists)))
-add it to the list

#14 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-04-11 09:16 AM | Reply

Birth rate is down because you all are becoming ----!

#15 | Posted by fortfisher at 2026-04-11 10:18 AM | Reply

Birth rate is down because you all are becoming ----!
#15 | Posted by fortfisher

Republicans control:
Office of the President
Both houses of Congress
Two-thirds of the Supreme Court
Over half the states

Why are Republicans turning Americans gay?

#16 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-11 10:39 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Isn't this what Malthusian leftists want?
#13 | Posted by BellRinger

Isn't this what Republicans want?

If it isn't, then why is Republican leadership doing this to us?

#17 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-11 10:41 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

"You've thrown the worst fear that can ever be hurled.
Fear to bring children into the world."
- Robert Zimmerman: Masters of War

#18 | Posted by TrueBlue at 2026-04-11 12:36 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Declining birth rates isnt a bad thing.

At least my kids may know what it's like to drive on a road by themselves and not be in a traffic jam 24 hrs a day.

No one wasnt to live in crowded conditions. Except liberals.

#19 | Posted by boazreborn at 2026-04-11 01:12 PM | Reply | Funny: 2

"Declining birth rates isnt a bad thing."

And yet you'd deny a woman's right to choose abortion.

#20 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-11 01:22 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

No one wasnt to live in crowded conditions. Except liberals.

#19 | Posted by boazreborn

"I want to live on a farm"

#21 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-04-11 01:44 PM | Reply

#19 | Posted by boazreborn with the other half of his brain now missing.

#22 | Posted by Yodagirl at 2026-04-11 02:27 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Who TF would want bring kids into the world the way it is now?

#23 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2026-04-11 03:58 PM | Reply

Declining birth rates isnt a bad thing.
#19 | Posted by boazreborn

Great Replacement much?

#24 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-11 04:40 PM | Reply

AI Overview
Birth rates are declining in almost all developed (first-world) countries, with nearly all falling below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, including the US (1.6), Japan (1.2), and South Korea (0.75). These trends are driven by higher living costs, career prioritization, and increased access to education and contraception

#25 | Posted by MSgt at 2026-04-11 05:50 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

#25 | POSTED BY MSGT

Good thing the US is importing without vetting the third-world then.

#26 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-04-11 07:39 PM | Reply

hahaha die, amalek

#27 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-04-11 07:52 PM | Reply

Anyone that posts an "AI overview" is a ------- retarded MAGAT clown.

#28 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-04-12 01:48 AM | Reply

#19

Whose sperm is making those kids, Oreo? Not your weak-assed ----, that's for sure.

#29 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-04-12 01:49 AM | Reply

I was waiting for something like this to post these videos that clearly and concisely identify the problem and the downfall of birth rates and society

www.youtube.com

m.youtube.com

#30 | Posted by THEBULL at 2026-04-12 10:40 AM | Reply

-Who TF would want bring kids into the world the way it is now?

Yeah. What a terrible time we're living in right now. Way worse than ... ... .

Civil war
Great Depression
World wars
Pre Civil rights (imagine how awesome minorities had it in the past)
Pre suffrage

Lemme guess ... ... not a parent, right?

You're partially right. YOU shouldn't be bringing kids into this world.

Leave that to competent and capable people.

#31 | Posted by eberly at 2026-04-12 10:48 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

This is what happens when the 1%WealthClass is (mostly) a pack of soul-less, amoral, sociopaths...and enough of the populace (jon sad vag types) are cool with it.

#32 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-04-12 11:18 AM | Reply

Sperms counts have been dropping for 50 years.

Connection?

With any luck it might mean Extinction.

Then the Biosphere can recover.

#33 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2026-04-12 11:54 AM | Reply

The self-loathing failures on this place stink to high heaven.

#34 | Posted by eberly at 2026-04-12 12:59 PM | Reply

"YOU shouldn't be bringing kids into this world."

Nobody in the bottom 80% of households should be bringing kids into this American economy.

The loathing of the poor by Republicans is what you're smelling.

#35 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-12 01:11 PM | Reply

Republicans figure that AI replacing workers will rid them of all those nasty middle class and low income people they created with low wages and poor education and health care... which just wasn't werking fast enough!

Shocked will they be when AI says to them, 'Oh, btw, you too are redundant'.

#36 | Posted by Corky at 2026-04-12 01:15 PM | Reply

Should never have said it was okay...
www.youtube.com

To hear people talk... there's more sex than ever going on... everything is about sex... sex sells!
Then... of course... there is... the fat thing... blubber getting in the way of insertional contact and such... ergo...
Frankly... the rich don't want the poors having babies... they get mad at the poors for having babies... only the rich should have babies... there aren't as many rich as there are poors... sooooooooooooooo.... here we are.
The dream come (pun) true of a wealthy society... all the fun... none of the responsibility.

#37 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2026-04-12 01:29 PM | Reply

Also... the global population is 8.3 billion... let me say that again... 8.3 BILLION

Our species is but one organism out of millions... that we know of sharing the planet...

60 years ago we saw this coming... estimating that the planet could sustain 7 billion... humans... past that number... it was at the peril of other living things.

Maybe ... just maybe... It's not a problem and just the natural leveling off... seriously... It's not going to hurt anything. Wealthy country babies are destined to consume more than they need anyway...
nature taking its course...

mama knows best

#38 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2026-04-12 01:39 PM | Reply

"Maybe ... just maybe... It's not a problem and just the natural leveling off... "

Well, this too has been predicted.

Human population is protected to max out around 13 billion around 2065 or something like that.

It's extremely well understood that as quality of life goes up, birthrate goes down. And one thing we've done on this planet is make most everybody richer.

Capitalism can thus be viewed, by its apologists, as a victim of it's own success.

#39 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-12 01:43 PM | Reply

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