US birth rates fall for the 6th consecutive year

[atlsfinest]

The United States has been below replacement level (we're not creating enough new people to replace our current population) for a long time. Some of the good that's come from this is that team pregnancy is headed to lowest rate in decades.

For a long time my hypothesis was that people weren't having kids because many Americans don't have health care and many jobs have poor parental leave but even in European countries with nationalized health care they're seeing declining birth rates as well.

Seems to me that it's a combination of:

1. Better availability of contraception

2. Women investing in their careers and waiting longer to have kids (or not having kids at all)

3. Most Americans no longer live in agrarian communities where they might need extra help (in the form of children). Having lots of kids went from an asset to a liability from a financial standpoint.

4. A lot of millennials barely have enough money to take care of themselves, much less of family.

5. Some millennials have the feeling of existential dread. "Why would I bring a child into this crazy, crumbling world?!" thought process.

Do you guys view this as a problem? If so, how do we fix it?

 

[deusavertat]

How you gone take care of children with a stimulus check. Trump cutting programs that assist expecting families didn't help either. We also have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world.

 

[clyde the glide]

Porn

 

[para bellum]

You touched on good points, OP. First things that stand out for me:

The US is the only developed nation without mandatory paid family leave
Student Loans for millennials, especially those graduating around the time of the 08/09 recession
Inflation outpacing wages/productivity by a wide margin
Women making more money, not getting married as quickly to attain more education
And of course income inequality overall:

 

[finessence]

Forgot the fact that a lot of these people are socially awkward. America gone be like Japan soon.

 

[TURBO UNO]

Good.

Bettering my lotto chances

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

Isn't it normal for developed nations to have a decrease in birth rates in general though?

The world is overpopulated anyways

 

[lovehateself]

rising #'s of lgbt ?

 

[atlsfinest]

Isn't it normal for developed nations to have a decrease in birth rates in general though?

The world is overpopulated anyways

Yes. There's a direct link between higher quality of living/higher education/women's rights and lower birth rates. wealthier countries almost always have lower birth rates than poorer countries and birth rates go down as quality of life goes up

 

[sooperhooper]

Daycare prices have probably risen for the 7th consecutive year.

 

[Brownstone]

No, it's not a problem

 

[Master Zik]

In the end its good for the planet.

Word to Utopia.

 

[C.Magneto]

Since everything is about race ... might as well throw out them fertility rates for the different races so we can see who they’re really talking about.

 

[blastercombo]

This is a good thing imo. I’d like to see who’s still having kids while broke

 

[deusavertat]

Porn

Porn existed before 6 years ago....so nah.

 

[deusavertat]

In the end its good for the planet.

Word to Utopia.

I agree. This isn't a bad thing. The planet and this country needs a break from humans, especially stupid ones. My wife and I are planning on having no more than 2 kids and adopting 1.

 

[deusavertat]

Daycare prices have probably risen for the 7th consecutive year.

Daycare prices are

My wife's grandma is just gonna live with us. She is relatively young. I could also drop him/her off at her aunt's who is retired.. That's our daycare.

 

[2pacalypsenow]

I want kids so bad, I just don’t have the money nor any family nearby to help

 

[finessence]

Since everything is about race ... might as well throw out them fertility rates for the different races so we can see who they’re really talking about.

you know they not gone do that

 

[atlsfinest]

Daycare prices are

My wife's grandma is just gonna live with us. She is relatively young. I could also drop him/her off at her aunt's who is retired.. That's our daycare.

You're not joking. Childcare costs are outrageous. When I was stationed out in Bay Area, one of my homeboy's wives straight up quit her job just to take care of their three kidsh They ran the numbers and she was literally working just to pay for childcare, essentially breaking even. In the Bay Area decent child care was over $2k per month and they had two children who weren't school age.

Once they factored in wear and tear on their car from commuting, child care, food for work, parking, gas etc They realize that she were essentially breaking even

 

[Nouss]

My coworker pays $400/week for daycare for his son.

Nope, I'm all the way good on that.

 

[clyde the glide]

Porn existed before 6 years ago....so nah.

Wow news to me thanks for heads up

I've heard a lot of talk that young people aren't having as much sex as previous generations. Idk whether that's ultimately true or not but when you consider several factors it could make sense

 

[atlsfinest]

Forgot the fact that a lot of these people are socially awkward. America gone be like Japan soon.

When I was in the Navy I was able to see the effects of pornography, isolation and social awkwardness firsthand. For so many young Japanese men it's easier to watch porn and have an internet relationship then it is to go out there and deal with the anxiety (and potential rejection) of real dating.

 

[deusavertat]

You're not joking. Childcare costs are outrageous. When I was stationed out in Bay Area, one of my homeboy's wives straight up quit her job just to take care of their three kidsh They ran the numbers and she was literally working just to pay for childcare, essentially breaking even. In the Bay Area decent child care was over $2k per month and they had two children who weren't school age.

Once they factored in wear and tear on their car from commuting, child care, food for work, parking, gas etc They realize that she were essentially breaking even

Yea I've heard similar stories were its literally more economical for whoever makes less to quit their job.

Family is an underutilized resource for daycare but not everyone has family in close proximity.

 

[ccastro02]

Me and the wife been trying to have a kid the past year. No luck yet.