The right’s plan to boost birthrate

How worried should we be about falling birthrates in the U.S.?

Birthrates have dropped to just 1.6 births per woman in the United States – a decline that started at the beginning of this century. That’s below what demographers consider “replacement-level,” meaning that our population will shrink without a reversal of the trend or an influx of immigration.

And we’re not alone. Across the globe, countries are seeing declining fertility rates and are grappling with the consequences, including shrinking workforce, slowing economic output and a strain on safety net programs.  

This trend has many people concerned in America. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have both emphasized the importance of boosting the birthrate and have floated policies like expanded child tax credits, baby bonuses for mothers and lowering the cost of in vitro fertilization.  

The Heritage Foundation has also weighed in, issuing policy briefs and papers on the issue, including a new report “Saving America by Saving the Family.” The conservative think tank argues the government should actively incentivize marriage and children. Its authors call for a “culture wide Manhattan Project” to restore the nuclear family and includes ideas like seed savings accounts for newlyweds, child tax credits for larger families, and marriage bootcamp.

This episode we ask: are we facing a birthrate crisis? Why are Americans having fewer children? And can government programs actually boost fertility?

Guests:

• Jennifer Sciubba, president and CEO of The Population Reference Bureau
• Delano Squires, director of The Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Human Flourishing at The Heritage Foundation