U.S. Birth Rates Declining

The U.S. birth rate is at a 30-year low, according the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control.

People are not having as many children because America is one of the hardest places to raise a child. This report is an opportunity to reflect about whether our country has done its best to systemically prevent punishing people for having and raising children.

Unfortunately, our health care system leaves many people uninsured, which makes prenatal care extremely expensive. People who are insured often still rack up high out-of-pocket costs. Pregnancy and childbirth are expensive and often leave new parents in dire financial straits. The United States is the only developed country that doesn’t offer paid parental leave—and a study shows that the few Americans who get paid parental leave from their employers tend to already make more money.

Kids cost a lot of money—something our generation X’ers and millennials do not have. Millennials are also encumbered with more student loan debt, entered a declining economy, and face skyrocketing housing costs.

Also cited are current social climates of high levels of poverty, poor health, sexual assault, and gun violence, as are racism, ableism, and transphobia, which has a marked effect on mental and physical health.