• U.S. fertility rate has dropped to an all-time low of 1.599 children per woman in 2024.
• The decline is attributed to economic anxiety and shifting societal norms regarding family planning.
• The Trump administration proposed measures like IVF access and "baby bonuses" to encourage childbirth.

The U.S. fertility rate fell to a record low in 2024, registering at 1.599 children per woman, significantly below the replacement level of 2.1 children. This latest figure marks a continuation of a two-decade decline, with societal changes prompting many women to delay childbirth or forgo it altogether, as reflected by World Bank data showing alignment with Western European fertility rates, according to CBS News, Africanews, and Newsweek.

Economic instability, housing concerns, and healthcare availability are significant factors contributing to this trend, as many young adults express uncertainty about their ability to start families. Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina, emphasized that “worry is not a good moment to have kids," explaining why birth rates could remain suppressed across age groups, according to LA Times and Al Jazeera.

In response to declining fertility rates, the Trump administration has proposed several measures aimed at encouraging childbirth, such as expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the introduction of "baby bonuses" to incentivize family growth. However, critics like Guzzo argue that these measures are largely symbolic and do not address the underlying issues affecting young people's decisions about parenting, according to India Times and CBS News.

Despite the record low fertility rate, there was a slight increase in the total number of births in 2024, with 33,000 more than the previous year, bringing the total to over 3.6 million. This growth was attributed to updated census population estimates rather than an increase in birth rates among women in childbearing age. Leslie Root, a researcher from the University of Colorado, noted that the increase does not reflect a higher birth rate, citing recalibrated estimates based on population data due to immigration trends, according to Africanews and LA Times.