New on OnlySky: The fertility freeze

New on OnlySky: The fertility freeze

I have a new column this week on OnlySky. It’s about the declining birth rate, not just in the U.S., but around the world. In a wide cross-section of countries, fewer women are having kids. There’s widespread fear over what this means for the future, but too many commentators treat this as a strictly economic issue without delving into the cultural reasons for it. The answers should be obvious, to anyone who takes the time to think about it: soa…

The fertility freeze: Why the birth rate is falling

[Previous: A less crowded future]We already knew that the population was on track to level off and eventually decline. But that day might be arriving sooner than we thought.According to CDC data, the U.S. fertility rate in 2024 ticked down to an all-time low of 1.599 children per woman.It's not only the U.S. that's in this situation; it's a worldwide trend. Declining birth rates and aging populations in the wealthy nations of Europe and Asia are…