When the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns first went into effect, many predicted a baby boom. Couples were spending more time at home, leaving more time to start a family. But those theories proved incorrect. In the United States, rates have been steadily declining since a peak in 2007. Birth rates from 2020 and 2021 show that trend hasn’t changed.
Dr. Elizabeth Hatch was part of a Boston University study that looked at fertility after contracting COVID-19. The study found that males who had the virus had lower fertility in the first 60 days after getting sick. But Hatch said fertility issues likely aren’t fueling the declining birth rate.
“With the pandemic and with the economy and environmental issues, I do think probably a lot of young couples are changing their minds. And maybe not wanting to have kids or postponing it,” Hatch said.
Experts also point to more women in the workforce and more access to contraception. Though the fall of birth rates isn’t just impacting the United States; rates are falling globally. Countries like China, Italy, and Japan expect their populations to cut in half by 2100.